The Other Side
by kerrbear
Summary: The maniacal Joker has escaped Arkham and is after Robin and the Teen Titans. As Robin faces his past, he unravels some secrets that will require some life-altering decisions. How will this affect the team? How will it change their leader? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

This is the first TT fic I've posted in three years, so PLEASE go easy! XD Reviews are love!

&&&&&&

Gotham City—Present Day

Dr. Walker made it down the white hallways of Arkham Asylum, moving at a clipped pace, as her disturbed patients seemed to be much rowdier than usual.

Ignoring the shouts for freedom and the occasional snarl, Dr. Walker turned down the left corridor, and sighed irritably, as she realized where the source of her other patients' discomfort was coming from.

The Joker was on one of his maniacal, cackling speeches. This was the third time the Joker had been returned to Arkham custody, and Dr. Walker was beginning to wonder why Batman hadn't just shot the damn bastard yet. It would do the world a huge favor if people like her didn't have to put up with people like _him_.

"Mr. Joker?" Dr. Walker called, approaching the cell as she did so. She was trying to remain as polite as possible, which was difficult to do as she hated to be near the clown. "Mr. Joker? You need to settle down."

She was only met with more raucous laughter, and Dr. Walker ground her teeth in annoyance. This was a giant waste of her time. What good were sedatives if you couldn't use them?

Sighing irritably, she stormed back down the hall and grabbed a sedative from one of the back rooms. She knew how the administration felt about opening the door for the Joker. Most of the staff wanted to keep as far away from the homicidal clown as possible. But if he was disrupting her patients, then Dr. Walker knew she had to do something about it.

She made her way back towards the Joker's cell, where he was still rambling on about something that was beyond incomprehensible. Dr. Walker couldn't wait to get the lunatic to shut up.

She opened the door, and quickly gripped her taser gun, which she kept in her side pocket, just in case the clown tried to pull anything.

"Oh? I have a visitor do I? Come to hear a few jokes?" The Joker practically shouted before bursting into peals of laughter.

"I'm just going to give you a sedative to calm down Mr. Joker." Dr. Walker said as calmly as she could. She hated how clear and precise the staff was supposed to be with the patients.

This only seemed to make the Joker's laughter grow worse, and Dr. Walker decided to ignore him. She ignored his doubling over, and carefully approached him, the needle raised, the taser clutched from inside her pocket.

"That's good Mr. Joker, now don't—Oof!" She cried as the Joker swiftly tripped the young doctor, sending the needle skidding across the room.

"If anyone's going to sleep Doc, it's going to be you." The Joker said with a cackle, picking up the sedative. Dr. Walker tried to scramble to her feet, but the Joker kicked her head into the floor, momentarily stunning her from the impact.

"Ah ah ah. You didn't say may I." The Joker said. "Don't let the bed bugs bite. Especially when I hear we're having _quite _the bug problem this time of year." The Joker said, inserting the needle into the doctor's neck. The doctor dropped at once.

The Joker yawned lazily. "Breaking out of the asylum just isn't as fun as it used to be." He said, beginning to laugh again as he exited the cell, twirling the needle between his fingers. Just then, the alarms began blaring and Joker snapped his fingers.

"Darn. I forgot about these pesky surveillance cameras." Joker said, snapping his fingers before grinning. "Oh well. I can't say that I'll be bored."

15 minutes later…

The Joker came whistling down the white hallway, noxious laughing gas surrounding him as he made his way to the information room. The Joker wiggled his fingers into the air before diving into a file. Upon finding his, he began to rummage through it, grinning from ear to ear at the luck he had.

"Sooo….Bird Boy's responsible for my return to Arkham this time, eh?" The Joker murmured, clearly amused. "What with getting old these days, remembering which Bat put me in the cage these days gets a bit fuzzy." The Joker said, breaking out into giggles before growing serious. "Bratty Bat Boy Bastard." He muttered, before spinning on his heel and hacking into the Arkham computer system.

"Oh how I love the World Wide Web!" The Joker cried eagerly, clapping his hands together at being able to access the Internet. "Now, let's see what Bird Boy's been up to so I can teach Batsy Jr. a lesson." The Joker muttered, typing in a statewide search. His eyes lit up at what he found.

"The Teen Titans, hmmm?" He said thoughtfully. He frowned. "Interesting that he broke away from Batsy Sr. But if he's on a team now, how can I draw him away from his little friends?" The Joker pondered this, before snapping his fingers. "I've got it!" He cried, grinning. "If I can't come to Bird Boy, Bird Boy'll have to come to me. And I know just the thing to make him come running." He said with a maniacal grin, before typing crazily away at the keyboard. It was time to put his plan into action, seeing as there's no time like the present.

&&&&&&

_5 years ago—Gotham City_

"_Bobby! BOOOOBBBBBBBBYYYYYY!" Morgan Carlton called at the top of her lungs, her face turning red from straining her voice. _

"_Jeez Morgan. How many times do I have to tell you? It's Dick. Not Bobby." Dick Grayson said, annoyed as he bounded down the stairs. _

_Morgan scrunched her face up in confusion. "You want to be called a dick?" _

_Dick rolled his eyes. "Very funny." He said, kissing her tenderly. "Let's go before we're late." He said with a grin as he pulled away from his girlfriend. _

_Morgan's crystal blue eyes widened in amusement, and she flipped her black hair that hung midway down her back over her shoulder before replying, "Y'know, you have to be the only middle school kid I know who actually wants to get to school on time." _

_Dick rolled his eyes. "You know Bruce'll kill me if I don't go to school." _

_Morgan giggled and wrapped her arm around Dick's. "Too true." She said, kissing him on the cheek. "Although you could just pin the whole thing on mine. It's not like he'd be surprised…He all ready thinks I'm a bad influence on you anyway."_

"_He does not." Dick said firmly. _

"_Whatever." Morgan said with a shrug. _

_The couple continued walking arm and arm for a couple of blocks in silence, just enjoying the other's company. _

_They walked by a toy store and Morgan stopped Dick from walking. "Look! Isn't that the creepiest looking toy you've ever seen?" She asked, pressing her forehead against the window. _

_Dick frowned, leaning forward as well, and his face paled as a maniacal blinking clown rocked back and forth, and his eyes soon widened. _

"_MORGAN! LOOK OUT!" Dick shouted, shoving Morgan to the ground as the blinking clown exploded, sending shards of glass and a few pieces of brick shooting out from where the two teenagers had just been standing. _

"_Whoa." Morgan gasped. "How'd you…Bobby?" Morgan looked around frantically, panicked when she didn't see her boyfriend. "Dick? DICK?!" She called, and gasped as the Joker himself landed in front of her._

"_Hello there. Aren't you a pretty flower…It looks like I owe my girlfriend when I told her that my new toy wouldn't attract any beautiful girls." The Joker said, before throwing his hands back and cackling. He looked at Morgan and winked. "She gets very jealous you know." _

_Morgan began to open her mouth when she felt hands grip her arms like a vice. "What d'ya think you're doin' there sweetums? Tryin' to steal my man?" Harley Quinn spat angrily. _

"_What?! No! I would never…!"_

"_I think she's one of those More Mans love." The Joker stage-whispered. _

"_Yeah? Well I think you a More Mans like you deserves a good thrashin'." Harley said, pulling a large hammer from seemingly out of nowhere. _

"_Oh sweetums! You're going hard on her! How lovely!" The Joker said, doing a happy jig. _

_Harley grinned and raised the red and yellow hammer over her head. Morgan opened her mouth to scream and…_

"…_Don't you think you're getting a little too old to be playing with toys Harley?" A voice called, his voice sounding familiar. _

"_Dick?" Morgan whispered, turning around as the Boy Wonder, Robin himself, propelled himself into Harley, sending her sprawling. _

"_You __**fiend**__! You'll pay for that!" The Joker said, scampering towards Robin. _

_Robin smirked and jumped up, kicking the Joker in mid-air. The Joker let out an audible curse as e stumbled a few feet. He wiped his chin with his arm before smiling. _

"_You know kid, you're sure stiff. Maybe you need to lighten up. Laugh it up a little." Joker said slyly, and unleashed a hoard of balls containing laughing gas. _

_Robin quickly dove in front of Morgan, blocking the girl with his cape from the noxious fumes as the Joker sang,_

"_I love to laugh! Long, and loud, and clear….!" _

"_Joker!" A voice barked. _

_Robin raised his head a little, smirking as Batman swooped in on the scene. _

"_You must be getting pretty pathetic if you're picking on kids much smaller than you." Batman smiled crookedly. "Not that you were doing a fine job at picking on them of course." _

_The Joker let out a shriek as he began to hop around, making obscenities at Batman and causing a real scene. Harley began to cackle as her lover continued to verbally abuse the Caped Crusader. _

_Batman merely shook his head and turned his attention towards Robin and the young adolescent. "Get her out of here." He said gruffly. _

_Robin smiled at him and gave him a mock salute. "You got it boss." He said, before scooping Morgan up in his arms and shooting out a grappling hook before flying into the early morning sky. _

_They landed in a back alley and Robin sighed tiredly. "You should get to school. I'm sure your parents will get worried if they find out you didn't make it." He panted. _

_Morgan's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I think you and I both know that my parents are dead…__**Dick**__." _

_Robin's eyes widened. "I just saved your life and this is how you repay me? By calling me a dick?" He asked, feigning hurt. _

_Morgan shook her head and stepped up to him, swiping off the black and white mask, startling Robin. He began to wrestle her for the mask, but Morgan continued to hold it out of his reach. _

"_If you really want to have an alter ego, you're going to have to put on one of those sound mask things or whatever they're called. You know that I know you better than anyone." Morgan said pointedly. _

_Dick sighed in irritation, swiping the mask back from her. "What was I supposed to do? Let the Joker allow his stupid girlfriend to bash your head in? Play mime with you? There was only a certain amount of time to act." Dick said, shaking his head angrily. _

_Morgan rolled her eyes. "Well you're the one that's supposed to be all secretive…And you totally stole that dick line from me!" She huffed. _

_Dick chuckled and ruffled her hair, and Morgan stuck her tongue out at him. "I suppose I have to take an oath of secrecy." _

_Dick shrugged. "I trust you. Besides, if you tell anyone, I'm required to kill you." _

_Morgan's eyes widened in horror. "Are you serious?" _

_Robin laughed. "You're so gullible." _

"_And you're so not funny." Morgan shot back. "Better hurry up so that we're not late for school." She mocked. "Just get moving Wonder Boy." _

"_Actually, it's Boy Wonder."_

"_Nope. You're Wonder Boy. End of discussion." _

&&&&&&

Jump City—Present Day

"So I'm having this huge argument with my college professor, and I'm getting more and more pissed off by the minute because I'm _totally _right and he's still giving me shit about it! I had to bring in my _dad_ just to prove how wrong he was." Barbara said, her voice crackling over the cell phone line.

Robin grinned. "Ah Barbara. You never cease to amaze me." He said jokingly, lounging on the couch. He saw Starfire enter the room, and he grinned at her, signaling for her to wait a second.

"Of course. That's because I _am _amazing Dick." Barbara said with a chuckle. Her tone grew serious. "Now, the real reason as to why I'm calling is because…"

"…You weren't just calling to say 'hi'? I'm insulted!" Robin said, trying to sound offended, but not succeeding.

"Oh please. When do I _ever _call you just to talk?" Barbara asked, an eye roll in her voice.

Robin smiled as Starfire began to massage his shoulders, and Robin placed one of his hands on hers, enjoying the heat of her hands radiating through his green gloves.

"…It's about the Joker." Barbara said.

Robin's eyes snapped open, and he sat up hurriedly, startling his Tamaranian girlfriend. "What?" He practically hissed into the phone.

"He escaped. From Arkham. Again. I know. He's never going to stop. But…He left a calling card." Barbara said hesitantly.

"Where?" Robin demanded.

There was a short pause before Barbara replied, "He's looking for you. Because you…"

"…Right. The day after the toy shop. He came after me while I was on patrol, I kicked his ass, I threw him in Arkham. He wants revenge?"

"Well…Yes, but…"

"…Did he leave a time and place to meet so I can kick his ass a second time?" Robin demanded, jumping to his feet.

Barbara sighed in annoyance. "Will you just shut up and let me talk?" She snapped. When Robin didn't reply, she continued, "Thank you. Now, Joker left a calling card in…An unexpected place. It was a drawing…a very vivid drawing, more of a cartoon of you…Dead. And…It was left…At Morgan's apartment."

Robin stopped his incessant pacing. "Carlton? Morgan Carlton?" He asked.

"Yeah, Morgan Carlton." Barbara repeated impatiently.

"Why? How did he…?"

"Remember you saved her from the toy shop? He must've gotten the vibe that you guys were more than friends."

Robin gritted his teeth, closing his eyes in irritation. "If he so much as _touches _Morgan I'll…"

"…I know." Barbara interrupted. "Which is why you need to come to Gotham. So you can track him, and give the guy what he wants."

"Alone?" Robin asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Do you really _want_ your teammates to meet someone like the Joker?" She asked incredulously.

Robin turned towards Starfire, who was eyeing him with worry, before he turned back around, feeling a pang hit his heart. "No."

"I'm sorry then Dick, it looks like you're going to have to come alone." Barbara said sadly.

"I'll be there as soon as I can." Robin said, before hanging up the phone.

"We are to go on a mission, yes? Someone needs our assistance?" Starfire asked.

Robin shook his head. "_We're _not going on a mission…_I _am." He said, beginning to make his way towards his room.

"What?" Starfire asked, flying in front of him to block his path.

Robin stopped short. "There's a situation in Gotham, and I'm needed. You guys can't come with me." He said firmly, trying to side step her, but the Tamaranian cut in front of him again.

"Robin, whatever it is you must face, we shall face it together as a team."

Robin's eyes narrowed. "Star…I'm going to be with Batman and Batgirl. I'm not going to be alone on this."

"Then it is my place to go with the customary 'the more the merrier' yes?"

"No." Robin said, stepping past Starfire and darting up the stairs before she could stop her again.

Starfire clenched her fists at her side, growing annoyed and went zooming after Robin.

"Robin, I must admit that I do not agree with…" Starfire stopped talking when she realized that he wasn't in his room.

Hadn't he come this way?

Her eyes widened as she heard the revving of the R Cycle, and she quickly ran to the window where she saw Robin zooming out into the late afternoon.

She sighed wearily, leaning against the ledge of the window. "Be careful." She whispered as a few tears escaped her large green eyes.

&&&&&&

Robin parked his motorcycle, one he had picked up from Bruce, and removed his helmet. He blew his dark hair out of his face, annoyed that it hadn't remained in its usual up do. It was early evening by the time he was allowed to begin his mission…Which was, of course, to warn Morgan of what that picture had meant, and what she had to do in order to stay safe.

Robin rubbed his tired cerulean eyes as he began to ascend the concrete steps of the apartment building Morgan was currently staying at. He knew that this was going to be beyond awkward. How often does your ex-boyfriend show up to warn you that you're in danger?

Robin pulled at the collar of his black T-shirt as he knocked on Morgan's apartment number. He was thankful that Bruce had known of Morgan's address before he came, or else he probably would've gone to her aunt and uncle's house.

Robin waited patiently, hearing shuffling on the other side. He saw the door open a crack, and he saw a familiar pair of crystal blue eyes peek out. Before he knew it, the door was begin unlocked, and Morgan stood there, as beautiful as she had been five years ago when he had left her behind to assemble his team.

Robin braced himself, waiting for Morgan to slap him or scream at him or flip him off. Morgan had always been overly sensitive about certain…Situations.

Morgan offered Robin a crooked smile. "Hey Wonder Boy." She said, eyeing him up and down. "You got taller." She said, and he was surprised to find that Morgan was only up to his chin.

"And you've gotten…Shorter hair." Robin faltered. It really wasn't all that short…It was now shoulder length instead of chest length. Her hair was much straighter than he remembered, as he always remembered Morgan having a wave.

"Your hair's still stuck up in all directions. Didn't I tell you that that's not attractive?" Morgan teased, leaning against the doorframe.

"I have a girlfriend." Robin blurted out, and instantly regretted saying it. Why had he blurted it out? It wasn't like Morgan had been coming onto him…Right?

Morgan's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh. That's…Cool. She nice?" She asked awkwardly, averting her eyes to the floor.

Robin swallowed. "Yeah. She's…Really nice. She makes me happy." He said, blushing slightly.

Morgan smirked. "You love her."

Robin nodded slowly. "Still know me better than anyone I see." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. When the silence seemed to drag on, he cleared his throat and said, "What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Nope. I was waiting for you."

"Oh." Robin said awkwardly. "I'm…"

"S'okay. I'm an idiot." Morgan said, grinning, before patting him on the shoulder. "Besides, I did gain one thing out of that whole mess between you and me." She said.

Robin raised a suspicious eyebrow. "And what would that be."

Morgan cocked her head to the side. "Your daughter."

&&&&&&

_5 years ago--Gotham City_

"_Hey Dick?" Morgan asked, tracing her fingers around Dick's chest. _

"_Hmmm?" Dick asked lazily, wrapping his fingers around Morgan._

"_Do you love me?" She asked, frowning down into his cerulean eyes. _

_Dick grinned. "Of course. Haven't we always exchanged those three words?" He asked, pulling her down to kiss him._

_Morgan pulled away. "But…If you really love me, then shouldn't we have…You know." Morgan trailed off, averting her eyes to the ground. _

_Dick's eyes widened. "Whoa. You mean…Go all the way?" He asked quietly. _

_Morgan took in a shaky breath, pushing her black hair away from her face with her hand. "I know we're only fourteen, but…If we're in love…Then don't you think we should take it to the next step?" _

"_You're not happy with the way things are?" _

"_No. It's just that Cindy said that when you really love someone…You should…You know…Seal the deal." _

_Dick smiled softly and pulled Morgan to him. "Is that what you really want? Would that make you happy?" _

_Morgan sighed. "This isn't about just me Dick. It's about you. And…What with your…You know…Depression and all I…" _

_Dick placed a finger to her lips. "You make me happy. Anything you do makes me happy." He whispered. _

_Moran grinned. "Really?" _

_Dick nodded, kissing her passionately. When he pulled away, he was grinning impishly at her. "Let's do it." _

&&&&&&

Robin gaped at Morgan, horror struck. "My _daughter_?"

Morgan nodded. "Yep. You were my one and only Wonder Boy."

"But…But…Why didn't you tell me?!" Robin hissed, his face growing red with anger.

Morgan studied her nails. "Hey, you were the one that left. You really think I would've believed you if you said you were coming back for me? I didn't even know where you _were_ Bobby."

"Whose fault is that?!" Robin snapped. "_You _were the one that basically told me to go screw!"

"Uh duh. Because one, I didn't know at the time and two, you fucking ditched me at that carnival!"

Robin's fists clenched. "Morgan, I all ready _told _you, the Joker was on the loose, I was needed."

"You couldn't have taken the night off?! Is that really so hard to do?! Take _one night_ off just to be with your girlfriend?!"

"Bruce called me. I didn't have a choice. You know how Bruce is."

Morgan's eyes narrowed. "So, Bruce told you to break up with me too, right?" She retorted.

"No. I didn't that for your safety." Robin said slowly.

"Oh! My safety! Because…_I _can't handle anything myself because I'm just the damsel in distress."

"Hey! Don't forget that if it wasn't for me, your skull would be bashed in by a giant hammer!"

Morgan threw her hands up in the air. "Whatever Robert. What the hell are you doing here?"

Robin glared at her. "I'm here to explain to you about that drawing you received."

"I _know _what it means, Robert. It means that you're going to die. The Joker's after you, and I have to do whatever he says or else you're going to die, and then he's going to pick the ones close to me and kill them too until I comply." Morgan said sardonically.

"Which means we have to get you out of here! You and your…My…Our…Daughter!" Robin stammered.

Morgan sighed exasperatedly. "Robert, I'm not just about to up and leave because of some maniac clown. You know I'm afraid of bugs, not clowns."

"This isn't just _any _clown Morgan! This is a homicidal maniac! He could kill you in a heartbeat!" He snapped.

"I can't just up and abandon school and Cali's education for some maniac! We don't even know if he's really going to go through with what he said…Or…Drew!"

"He's the _Joker _Morgan, he's _going _to do it." Robin said firmly, losing his patience.

Morgan stared at Robin for a long time, her blue eyes blending with his. She finally blinked and looked down at the floor, biting her lip. "Out of all of them…He was the worst…Wasn't he?"

"It's not like it's a popularity contest." Robin said, running his fingers threw his spiky hair.

"That means that there's a tie…I'm guessing between the Penguin and the Joker." Morgan said quietly.

Robin balled his hand up into a fist. "Drop it Morgan. You're going to end up hurting yourself." He hissed.

Morgan bit her lip uncertainly. "Do you still have it? The depression, I mean."

Robin began to grow irritated. "Of _course_ I still have it! It's post-traumatic stress! You're saying watching my parents _die_ isn't supposed to be traumatic?!"

"…Does your girlfriend know?" Morgan asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Robin lowered his eyes to the floor, refusing to answer her.

"Interesting." Morgan murmured, opening the door for Robin to enter. "Just make sure not to commit a suicide attempt while the two of you are together." She said.

Robin shot her a glare and followed her inside the apartment.

Morgan stepped over a Barbie Jeep and picked threw the various Backyardigans and Sesame Street toys. "Don't mind the mess. If I knew you were coming I would've made a better impression."

"That's okay. You always were a slob." Robin shot out, sitting down on the black suede couch.

"Funny. Too bad bites like that don't affect me." Morgan said, beginning to rummage through the fridge for something to drink. Robin hadn't even told her he was thirsty, and yet, somehow, she just knew.

"So, am I going to meet her? Or are we keeping her illegitimate?" Robin asked, after a few moments of silence.

Morgan paused, turning to look at him. "It depends: Is your girlfriend going to go ape shit on me if she finds out we de-virginized each other?"

Robin smiled sweetly at her. "As long as you don't put it that way…Or how much of a history we had…we should be good." He sing-songed.

Morgan threw back her head and laughed. "Haven't screwed her over yet?"

Robin blushed. "Her culture asks for her to reserve her purity until after marriage." He muttered.

"What the hell culture is she apart of? Quaker?"

"No. Tamaranian."

"Gesuenheidt?"

"That's her culture. Tamaranian. She comes from the planet of Tamaran. She's an alien."

Morgan burst into fresh peals of laughter. "Oh! I see how it is! A _normal_ girl isn't your taste…But an _alien_ is?" Morgan started cracking up.

"Shut up Morgan." Robin said, annoyed.

"Sorry." Morgan said, although it was obvious that she didn't mean it.

"So anyway, getting back on topic: Where is she?"

"Who?"

"I don't know. Your…My…Our daughter, perhaps?"

Morgan looked at the clock, a funny expression on her face. "Um…It's eight thirty at night, I would _hope_ that she'd be sleeping." She said

Robin blushed. "Oh. Um…"

"Nice for you to show an interest though." She said, arriving at the couch with two large lemonades.

Robin's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry I don't know her bedtime." He grumbled.

Morgan sighed. "You're way too sensitive, you know that? Where the hell has your sense of humor gone?"

When Robin didn't reply, Morgan merely shrugged, taking a sip of her lemonade. When she was done, she said, "Cali."

"Excuse me?" Robin asked, looking up from making circles in the condensation of the glass.

"Cali. Her name. It's Cali. Cali Robin Carlton-Grayson. I was going to give her the middle name of Mary, but you weren't there and I wasn't sure if that would be dishonorable…Seeing as she was your mother and all. So I did the next best thing, I named her after you, for lack of a better term…Middle name wise anyway."

Robin frowned. "Well, thanks I guess."

Morgan shrugged. "You're welcome. She was given the name Cali because she was born in California. April fourteenth of 2004 to be exact at midnight exactly. All natural childbirth, seven hours of labor."

"Wow." Robin said, beginning to grow uncomfortable.

"I have a picture of her, but I don't want you to get attached because that'll mess up the mission of having both me and her go AWOL from school."

Robin sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So, you'd rather die."

"He never said anything about me, Robin. He had your picture on that paper, not mine."

"Morgan…" Robin said in a warning tone.

Morgan laughed, pointing at him. "Nice! You sound exactly like a father! Too bad you're four years late!"

Robin jumped to his feet. "I came here to protect you! Bring you to safety! And you're getting mad at _me_ for something that you didn't _tell _me?!

"I called you!" Morgan exclaimed. "I _called_ you! I even called _Bruce_! He tried to get a hold of you, and you never answered! I tried e-mailing you, your account apparently didn't exist anymore, and then your IM was gone! And it just really pisses me off because you got to go ahead and live your life! A whole new life too! While I'm stuck here in Gotham having to deal with one mistake for the rest of my life because of _your _sperm!"

"What we did wasn't a mistake and you know it! You _wanted_ it!" Robin shouted at her.

Morgan's eyes narrowed. "I think you should leave."

"What about going into hiding? Are you going to take _anything _into account of what I said? Because I think there's more going on here then you not wanting to leave school, Morgan. Because I _know _that you _hate _school. And if you really loved Cali, you'd get her the hell out of Gotham. Or, are you thinking that if you keep on saying no, I'll have to stay here?"

Morgan's eyes narrowed, and she glowered at Robin. "Get out." She hissed.

"Don't have to tell me twice." He muttered, standing up.

As he began to make his way towards the door, he stopped and turned around. "Here." He said, handing her a card. "It has my number on it. Just in case you change your mind." He said coolly.

And then he was gone.

&&&&&&

Jump City—Present Day

Starfire sighed, swinging her long legs as she sat at the kitchen counter, worrying over Robin. She knew that she could easily track him, but she didn't want to risk Robin getting mad at her.

Raven was sitting on the couch, reading one of her many thick books, while Cyborg and Beast Boy were off thinking up a new obnoxious game, seeing as Stank Ball had grown old _years_ ago.

Starfire sighed again, more loudly this time, hoping to have the telepath ask her what was wrong so she could vent off about her troubles.

Before she could attempt a louder sigh, as Raven still hadn't acknowledged her, the phone rang.

Starfire dove from her seat, her heart leaping in her throat, hoping that it was Robin calling to check up on her.

"Hello?" She said breathlessly.

"Hi. I'm looking for the sperm donor of the tower." A female voice said sweetly.

Starfire's face screwed up in confusion, distracting her from her disappointment at it not being Robin. "Pardon me?"

"Oh. I'm sorry." The girl said, feigning a sincere apology. "I forgot he didn't go by tat name here. I meant Wonder Boy."

Starfire wrinkled her nose. "'Wonder Boy'? I am assuming you are referring to my boyfriend Robin, yes?"

"Oh! So _you're _the alien Tama-watchamacallit he told me about."

"It's…_Tamaranian_. And Robin is not present at the moment. He is on a mission to save a Morgan Carlton in Gotham City. May I have you leave a message so that he may contact you when he returns?"

The girl laughed. "_I'm _Morgan Carlton. I was just calling to say that I thought over what he said, and that my daughter and I will be arriving at this Titans Tower place hopefully by tomorrow evening."

Starfire frowned. "Um…We were not expecting company."

"Yeah, I know. Robin came to me totally freaking out about the Joker and was all like, 'you need to be safe!' and then he pulled this whole guilt trip thing on me so…Yeah. It worked. I'm coming."

"Will you be able to find our home?"

"It's a giant "T", it's not like you guys are inconspicuous." Morgan replied.

Starfire rubbed her forehead. "Are you _sure_ Robin said that you may stay here?"

"He just said to get out of Gotham. And he left his card so I'm _assuming_ that that means he wants me to stay with you guys. But if this is going to be a huge mess, I'll just rent a motel room or something. I won't be able to afford it, but hey, Robin's a moron."

Starfire's eyes blazed. "_How _do you know Robin again?"

"He's my ex-boyfriend."

&&&&&&

Morgan felt smug as she finished getting off the phone with that alien girl. She still didn't know her name, and frankly, she didn't care. She was too mad at Robin for actually going out with her to care about what her comments had most likely done to their relationship. She thought that bastard was getting slapped silly by the bitch.

After all, _Morgan _had been the one to wait for him. _Morgan _had been the one who thought about him every day. _Morgan _was the one who raised his child. She was _also _the one who he came to for venting and therapy sessions. She was the one that had made him laugh, cry, sad, etc. Yet _what _does he decide to do once he's gone from Gotham? Have a party with an alien chick! It wouldn't surprise her if he had screwed other girls while going out with her the maniac!

"Mommy?" Cali called timidly from her bedroom.

Morgan took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before facing her four-year-old daughter. "What is it sweetie?" She asked as kindly as she could.

"Why do we hafta move? I like it here." Cali said, her cerulean blue eyes shining with tears as her wavy black hair fell in front of her face.

Morgan sighed, stooping down to her daughter's level. "A very bad man is in Gotham, and a friend of mine wants me to get out of here with you so that we don't get hurt."

Cali frowned. "Is this bad man going to get us?"

Morgan shook her head. "No. He's not. My friend saved us. We won't be gone long…Just as soon as they get this bad man caught…Then we can come home."

Cali hesitated. "What if I don't like it where we're going?"

Morgan chuckled, thinking how Cali was so much like Dick in this way. "Trust me Cali, you're going to love it. It has an ocean there…Just like where you were born. I _know_ how much you love to swim."

"Are there dance schools dere?" She asked suspiciously.

"It wouldn't be a city without a dance studio! It even has a karate school." Morgan said.

Cali's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Morgan nodded, fibbing a little. After all, if Robin wanted to get involved in Cali's life like he has been more than able to do it seemed, it wouldn't kill him to give her a few karate lessons.

"Wanna give it a try?" Morgan asked, pressing her forehead against Cali's.

Cali hesitated before slowly nodding, and Morgan smiled and kissed her forehead. "There's my good girl." She said standing up. "Why not if you go get the two bags I packed for you and we can head out to the car?"

"'Kay." Cali replied, scurrying back into her room.

Within a few minutes, mother and daughter were ready to leave. Morgan took most of Cali's bags in order to hold her hand and began to lead her out through the entrance of the apartment.

They were soon outside, surrounded by the busy sounds of city life. Morgan began to make her way down the steps, and she heard Cali gasp.

Morgan looked at her daughter, who was looking at something in front of her. Morgan followed her gaze and gasped when she saw her car on fire.

"Ohmygod!" She cried. "Cali, stay here!" She ordered, dropping her bags and beginning to run across the street.

She approached her car, and noticed something smoldering on the front. She hurriedly grabbed it, and realized it was an envelope. On the front was the word, "Oops!"

Frowning, Cali hurriedly tore the envelope open, and pulled out a drawing, similar to the one she had found on her front door two nights ago. Except, instead of Robin being in the drawing again, it was her. Robin had been right.

She swallowed the lump in her throat as fear overcame her and heard the click of a trigger being put into place. She slowly turned around and found herself face to face with Harley Quinn's gun, a flag blazing the words "Boom!" pointed directly at Morgan's chest.

Harley grinned maniacally at her. "Hey sweetheart. Seeing as Bird Boy isn't here to save ya, this means I can't miss this time."

And with that, she set the trigger and fired.

&&&&&&

Robin barely allowed the R Cycle to come to a halt before he was running up to the crime scene. He ignored the "Ha ha has" written in blood across the pavement. His chest started constricting when he saw a small pale hand stained with blood, a poll of blood just underneath.

He tried to get through, but police were holding him back, and Commissioner Gordon was saying something that Robin couldn't understand. He stared at the Commissioner blankly, and the Commissioner handed him a handkerchief. Robin stared at it, uncomprehending, until the Commissioner slowly touched it to his face, which was when he realized he was crying.

Robin gently pushed away the handkerchief and turned around, wiping hurriedly at his eyes. He noticed a young girl, of about four sitting on the steps. No one seemed to notice her, but there were bags on either side of her. Her long black hair fell around her elbows, and she was hugging her skinny knees tightly.

Robin looked from Morgan's dead corpse, back to the young girl sitting there, and realized with shocking clarity that he was looking at his daughter.

Swallowing, Robin slowly approached the girl, hoping not to scare her.

The girl's face rose to look at his as he slowly sat down beside her. "Hi there." He said.

The girl studied him closely, obviously debating on whether she should talk to this stranger or not. He noticed her glance at the crime scene, as if to make sure there were plenty of police officers there in case she needed them. Once she seemed satisfied, she turned to him, her mouth opening and closing.

Finally, in a hoarse voice she asked, "Are you my mommy's friend who warned us about the bad guy?"

Robin swallowed, this time feeling a definite lump. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I am."

Cali lowered her eyes to the ground. "He got her." She said softly.

"I know." Robin said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Cali looked at her, thin tears streaming down her face. "What's gonna happen to me?" She whispered.

Robin swallowed. "If you want, you can come and stay with me for awhile until we find a better home for you….Would you like that?"

Cali studied Robin up and down before slowly nodding in agreement.

&&&&&&

Robin returned to Titans Tower, trying to make as little noise as possible as he sneaked in, Cali asleep on his shoulder.

It had been a long day. He had to fill out paperwork, get Batman to vouch for him on being a favorable guardian, and then he had to sit down with one of the police officers to set up an interview. Robin was pretty sure they would've done a search warrant to search the Tower, but he was pretty sure Bruce had threatened them to shut up and drop it.

Bruce had actually been the one to drive him back to Jump City, going on about a long list of signs of trauma to watch out for. Robin thought this was pretty pointless, seeing as he had gone through trauma himself, but he didn't dare point this out to Bruce. Robin had learned from years of living with the man that you didn't question him. You kept your mouth shut and agreed, whether he was wrong or not.

Robin made his way cautiously up the stairs, trying not to disturb the sleeping girl. She had probably only fallen asleep a half an hour ago in the car…And that was at eleven thirty at night. Robin was beginning to feel frustrated, at the Joker getting away, and how they had no plausible lead as to where he was. It was evident that the Joker hadn't known about Cali, and that they were obviously trying to weaken Robin in order to plot his revenge for locking him away in Arkham Asylum. All this lead to was more worry over whether the Joker was going to come to Jump City and hurt his teammates, or find more ways to hurt the ones close to him in Gotham.

Robin sighed warily as he placed Cali down on his bed, pulling the covers up around her.

"Robin?" She asked groggily, startling him.

"Cali," He whispered. "You're supposed to be asleep."

"You woke me up." She argued.

Robin sighed. "What is it?"

"Are the clown people going to get me?"

Robin felt himself grow nauseous. "No. Not today Cali. Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Why'd they hurt my mommy?"

Robin paused, because he didn't know how to explain to the young girl about revenge, or about how much her mother had meant to him at one point. He felt sickened at the very idea that he had to explain to his team about his daughter…He could almost imagine how Starfire would react to the news.

"I don't know Cali." Robin replied finally. "Sometimes when people get really mad at each other, they think that the way to solve the problem is to hurt the person that made them mad."

"Did you make the clown people mad at you?"

Robin lowered his head, tears stinging his eyes. "Yes, Cali. I made the clown people mad at me. And they hurt your mother as a result. I'm sorry."

Cali didn't say anything, and Robin was afraid that Cali was going to begin calling him a bad person and attempt to run away. This wouldn't have surprised him because if he was four and he just found out that the person that had taken him in was responsible for his mother's death, he'd probably try to run away too.

When Cali still didn't say anything after a few minutes, Robin slowly raised his head, and found Cali watching him. She didn't seem mad, she seemed curious, which confused him. Maybe it was because she was four, and she wasn't fully grasping what he was saying.

"…You're mommy's boyfriend aren't you?" Cali asked slowly, startling Robin.

Morgan had told Cali about him after all?

"Um…I was. Your mom and I haven't seen each other in years. I'm a boyfriend to another girl now." Robin said, feeling his face flush at how heartless he must sound.

Cali seemed to be studying him harder, and she said even more slowly, "Mommy said that she only had one boyfriend….And that her boyfriend was my daddy. She said that my name is named after my daddy, and your name's Robin, like my middle name….Are you my daddy?"

Robin gaped at Cali. Morgan hadn't mentioned anything about his daughter being a _genius_, for crying out loud. How the hell had she…?

Cali studied him up and down. "Mommy says I'm a lot like you if you are. She says that you're stubborn like me, and that you don't like being teased like me. She says that you're really smart like me, and that you like gymnastics like I do." Cali's eyes were shining with hope as she sat up in bed. "Are you my daddy Robin?"

Robin swallowed, his face flushing. "Cali…I…"

"Because if you are, that means we don't have to find a new home for me. I can live wif you!"

Robin held up his hands, stopping Cali. "Whoa, Cali. Slow down. Living here isn't the smartest thing to do."

Cali frowned in confusion. "Why not? _You _live here!"

"Well _yeah_ but…I run this tower."

"And if you're my daddy, then that means the tower's safe." Cali responded matter-of-factly.

"Nooooo," Robin said slowly. "We have bad guys after us all the time, so it isn't safe. And if anyone found out about you, you could get hurt."

"Not if you're a super hero. You can protect me." Cali said proudly.

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Cali, I'm not always going to be able to protect you. I go out on missions, and I'm out late at night, I don't have any money so I wouldn't be able to send you to school…"

"…That's okay. I'm done with preschool anyway."

"Right. And then you have to go off to elementary school, and middle school, and high school…."

"Nope. Mommy says I'm too smart for school."

Robin sighed warily. "Cali, we'll continue this in the morning, okay? I'm tired, you're tired…"

"No I'm not. I'm wide awake now."

"Well again, _I'm _tired, so it's time for you to go to sleep so that_ I_ can go to sleep. If I don't get my sleep, I'm not going to be in a good mood, and you _really _don't want to see me when I'm in a bad mood."

Cali sighed, but settled back underneath the covers. Robin tried to suppress his smugness at winning and stood up from sitting on his bed for so long. "Good night." He said.

Cali sat bolt up right. "Where are you going?" She asked, panic creeping into her voice.

Robin gave her a confused look. "I'm going to go sleep in a different room."

"But if you leave the clown people might get me." Cali said.

Robin studied Cali carefully. "You're really scared about that happening aren't you?"

Cali nodded, her eyes wide with fear, and Robin sighed in defeat. "I'll sleep on the floor." He said begrudgingly.

Cali grinned and quickly settled back down again, and in a few seconds, she was asleep.

Robin watched the sleeping girl for awhile, before smiling a little to himself, before he settled down on the floor and drifted off to sleep as well.

&&&&&&

There was incessant knocking on Robin's door, and Robin groaned, and his back cracked, making him bite back another moan as shooting pain shot up his spine. That was the _last time_ he was ever sleeping on the floor again.

"Robin?" Starfire's muffled voice called through the door. "Robin? Are you home? It is I, Starfire. Cyborg said that he located your R Cycle back in our garage, which means that you have returned undamaged, yes? Robin? Are you in your room? Robin?"

Robin stumbled to his feet, trying to make his drooping eyelids remain open. He opened the door, and Starfire let out a squeal of delight, hugging Robin tightly, which did nothing to improve his back.

"Oh Robin! You have returned from your journey in such a short time! I am assuming that it was successful and you and I have much to 'catch up on' and…Why is there a girl sleeping in your bed?" Starfire asked, pulling away from Robin.

Robin frowned, momentarily forgetting about Cali. He turned around and saw Cali watching him, and the events of yesterday came flooding back to him. He rubbed his forehead and addressed Starfire first.

"That's Cali. The mission wasn't successful. Her mother was killed and it was insisted that I come back to Jump City to bring her to safety."

Starfire frowned slightly. "I see. Was this girl a Morgan Carlton by any chance?"

Robin started. "How'd you know?"

"She called yesterday claiming that she was once your girlfriend." Starfire's eyes narrowed. "She mentioned something about you and her having a child, and seeing as this 'Cali' resembles you, I am assuming that she is the child to which she spoke of."

Robin paled, and secretly cursed Morgan inside his head before responding, "Star, I swear, I didn't know that Cali existed I…"

"…That is not what I am upset about Robin. What I am upset about is the fact that you did something very special with this girl, and you did not inform me of it."

Robin blushed. "Star…It was a long time ago and I didn't…"

"…I have told you everything of my world, have I not?" Starfire demanded, "Because if I have, then there is no reason for you to not tell me everything about your world prior to being with the Teen Titans. Have I given you some sort of impression that you should not share such confidential information with me?"

"Star…" Robin faltered. "Try to understand, I was young. At the time, I thought Morgan was the one I loved, and…In our world…When you love someone you….You know. It was stupid and I'm sorry. But you can't get mad at me for something that happened almost five years ago."

Starfire's eyes narrowed. "Robin, I am not mad at what you did, I am mad that you did not tell me. Not to mention that you did not tell me what your mission consists of. How am I to know that you did not travel just to be with Morgan again? You left alone and returned with her daughter. I realize that she is dead, and I am sorry for your loss, but I am not sorry for being angry with you. Unless you have an excuse for me as to why you are suddenly keeping secrets from me, then I am confused as to why we are in a relationship at all."

Robin gave Starfire a puzzled look. "Star, you were so happy when you first saw me, why…?"

"You would not have opened the door if you knew that I was angry. Besides, I was planning on bringing up this conversation later, but seeing as I have seen Cali, I figured now was as good a time as any to bring up this recent confusion that I am feeling towards you."

"But, there shouldn't be any confusion. Star, this is all a big misunderstanding…"

"…That girl is a 'misunderstanding'?"

"Well no, but…"

"…Speak to me when you are ready to gather your thoughts together Robin." Starfire said with a sniff, before flying off.

"Star!" Robin cried after he feebly. He sighed warily, shaking his head. Now he had _more _problems to deal with, and he didn't even know which one to deal with first.

Just then, Robin heard a huge explosion, followed by a maniacal cackle. Cali screamed and quickly dove at Robin, wrapping her arms around Robin's legs.

"IT'S THE CLOWN PEOPLE!"

&&&&&&

Well…That was…Long. The original plan was for this to be a one-shot, but I think this is going to be a couple of chapters long. I really like the idea of Robin with kids, but I knew that if I left Morgan in there, that would mess up the Star/Robin relationship. I promise not to ruin that! Anyway, please leave a review on your way out…No reviews, no update. For how can I know how to improve my story if I don't receive feedback? XD


	2. Chapter 2

Here's Chapter 2! Remember: Reviews are love!

&&&&&&

Robin had to pry Cali off of him before he practically fell down the stairs. He reached the living room, and saw The Joker hovering inside the tower, a giant helicopter in the background. It figured that the Joker of all people would steal a helicopter.

"Robin?" Raven asked, pulling Robin out of his thoughts.

He turned to look at Raven, who seemed as equally confused as the rest of the team appeared to be. Before Robin could open up his mouth to say anything, the Joker was shouting,

"What's the matter Bird Boy? Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" He cackled, pulling out a bazooka gun. The team scattered, and Robin skidding across the metal floor, his eyes narrowing in anger. The Joker wasn't ruining his team…Not if he had anything to do with it.

Robin removed his bo staff before charging at the Joker. The Joker cackled and rolled out of the way, firing another explosion in his wake. Robin dodged it, and ignored Beast Boy scream as it crashed into the opposite wall.

Growing irritated at the fact that the tower _always _seemed to be under attack, Rob in threw a boomerang at the Joker. Of course, the Joker was used to these things being thrown at him, so he blocked it with his gun, and it bounced off and hit one of the computers.

"Ah hell no! That clown did NOT just break one of my computers!" Cyborg shouted, unleashing his sonic blaster and aiming it at the clown.

The Joker wheeled on Cyborg, grinning, and made a tsk tsk gesture. "Honestly, you kids and your technology. Don't you know how to do _anything_ old-fashioned?"

"You mean like kicking your butt single-handed? I can take ya you circus freak!" Cyborg snapped, charging at the Joker.

The Joker yawned. "You're going to wish you hadn't said that." He said, removing a card from his back pocket.

Robin's eyes widened. "CYBORG! NO!" He shouted, beginning to lunge towards the teen robot.

He was too late. The card exploded, sending Cyborg flying backwards, knocking him unconscious.

"Azareth Metrion Zinthos!" Raven cried, sending a table flying at the Joker. The Joker let out an audible "Oof!" as he went flying backwards, hitting one of the walls.

He stood up shakily, shaking his head from side to side as Beast Boy charged at him as a bull. The Joker saw him and held out his purple jacket, pretending to be a matador. Beast Boy skidded to a halt as the Joker threw a silver ball at the changeling, stunning him with its blinding lights.

Starfire began to throw star bolts at the clown who plucked the flower that he had on his jacket lapel, and blew it at the Tamaranian. Robin began running towards Starfire, and Starfire screamed as the flower wrapped around her eyes.

Robin dove for her, knocking her to the ground as he wrestled to get the flower off of Starfire's eyes. Once removing it, the two stared at each other for a minute, before Starfire pushed her off of him and stumbled to her feet, quickly lifting off of the ground to attack the Joker again.

Raven let out a cry as the Joker unleashed a green ball of laughing gas. Raven began to cough before she began laughing. Black matter began to shoot out from all angles, seeming to almost be oozing out of the walls of the tower. The Joker cackled at the mayhem, and Robin had to use his bo staff in order to get Raven to stop before the whole tower encased the team in its own rubble.

He lunged at the Joker, kicking him with a side swipe and knocking the clown over onto his back. Robin quickly pressed the bo staff up against the Joker's chest, and pressed down hard on it until the Joker couldn't laugh anymore, instead he could only wheeze.

"Didn't like me killing your girlfriend I see." The Joker wheezed, biting down on his cheek to hold back his laughter.

Robin gritted his teeth together. "I didn't think you were one to have such hard feelings Joker. I thought your idea in life was to 'lighten up'." He said sarcastically, using his free hand to grab a sonic disk.

"Why Robin, how could I _possible_ have hard feelings over a child? I _love _children! And seeing as you're apart of the new generation, I decided that it wouldn't kill me to educate you."

"So killing Morgan was only a lesson?" Robin hissed, his eyes narrowing to mere slits.

The Joker nodded, seeming pleased with himself. "Of course. I believe it fell under the category, 'what goes around comes around'. Does that sound right to you?"

"I should just kill you." Robin hissed, beginning to remove the sonic disk.

"Go ahead. You'll only be breaking you morals and stooping down to my level. And I just can't _imagine _you doing a thing like that. After all, you all ready have some hard feelings with killing don't you…_Dick_."

Robin froze, his eyes widening with horror as the Joker grinned evilly at him. Robin's throat went dry, and it took all of his self-restraint not to slam the bo staff into the lunatic's chest.

"I know all about your mommy and daddy. John and Mary…The Flying Graysons." The Joker giggled. "They died right before you were to join their act. That must be _so _hard for you to have to deal with…In fact, it was. I believe there was an attempt of suicide wasn't there?" When Robin didn't respond, this only made the Joker grin. "I always knew you were too stiff." He said, grabbing Robin's bo staff.

Robin snapped out of his shock, and struggled to get a hold of his weapon, trying to throw the sonic disk at him. The Joker only laughed as he swiped the bo staff out of his grip and slammed the bo staff onto Robin's wrist that was trying to throw the disk. Robin let out a cry of pain as the bone cracked, and at that moment, Starfire charged at the Joker, a battle cry emanating from her throat as she threw the Joker's own helicopter at him.

There was a deafening explosion and Robin was thrown to the side, hitting his head against the wall. He temporarily blacked out, and when he came to, he saw his teammates trying to rise to their feet, and realized that the Joker was gone. As his eyes focused, he saw a card of the Joker beside him that read, "Better luck next time" with a smiley face.

Robin slammed his fist into the card, and gasped as it exploded back in his face. Swearing, Robin stumbled to his feet, horrified that the tower was in a shambles. He ground his teeth as he surveyed the crumbled debris and felt as if he was about to cry for what the Joker had done to his team. He had flattened them, and this guy shouldn't even be such a threat. He was some moron who had fallen into a vat of acid for Christ sake. So why the hell couldn't he bring him down?! Hell, why couldn't _Batman_ bring him down?

So on top of Morgan getting killed, the Joker now being in Jump City, his tower being in shambles, Starfire begin mad at him, his four-year-old daughter…

Robin gasped, as realization dawned on him that Cali was still upstairs…But there wasn't an upstairs anymore.

"Cali?!" Robin shouted, darting towards where the stairs used to be. "Cali? Can you hear me?" He shouted, beginning to move pieces of metal debris and other various odds and ends as he picked through the mess.

His heart was pounding in his throat, and he realized that if he lost Cali, Morgan would come back from the dead and kill her himself. Either that or she'd inhabit his body and have _him _kill himself.

"Cali?" Robin called again, shoving a ruined door out of the way.

"Here!" Came a feeble voice, and a small hand rose in the air a few feet away from where Robin had removed the door.

Robin climbed over the debris, pulling at some of the metal beams, and saw Cali, a cut on the side of her head, but other than that she seemed uninjured. He let out a sigh of relief and reached down, pulling Cali out of the rubble and beams.

"Are you all right?" He gasped, studying Cali up and down, even though he knew she was okay.

Cali nodded, but she seemed angry, and sure enough, she exploded, "I hate those clown people! I _hate _them! They're nothing but a bunch of big bullies!" Tears sprung to her eyes and she hurriedly wiped them away, seeming to grow angrier with herself for crying.

"Hey." Robin said, kneeling down to her level. "It's okay. We're going to stop them, my friends and I. They won't hurt you again, you have to trust me on that."

"They just hurt us now! They ruined your house! And they hurt me!" She wailed, pointing at her head.

Robin stared at Cali uncertainly, still amazed at how well this kid seemed to know about life.

"Cali…" He began hesitantly, and was surprised when Cali wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. Robin awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, gently rubbing her back in hopes of comforting her, although comfort wasn't the first thing on his mind.

What he was really thinking of was how the hell the Joker had discovered his identity.

&&&&&&

_5 years ago—Gotham City_

"_Where do you want to go next?" Dick asked, his hand wrapped in Morgan's as they browsed through the carnival that came to Gotham every year. _

_Morgan scanned the array of games and rides, before shooting Dick a sly look. "Let's go watch the clown act." She said, pointing to about a dozen clowns putting on a comedy act for a group of teenagers. _

_Dick made a face. "Haven't you handled enough clowns after yesterday at the toy shop?" He asked incredulously. _

_Morgan giggled. "Just thought I'd get a rise out of you." _

"_You're nice." Dick said sarcastically. _

_Morgan grinned. "You know you love me." She said in a sultry voice. _

"_Nope." Dick joked, beginning to lean towards her. _

_As they were about to kiss, Robin's cell phone chimed and he sighed irritably, pulling away from Morgan so that he could answer. _

"_Yeah?" He asked, annoyed at being interrupted. He knew that chime all too well…It was what he used for when Bruce called, and Bruce had promised to give him a night off. After what had happened yesterday, Bruce had figured that Dick had probably wanted some quality time with Morgan, yet here he was, ruining it. _

"_The Joker's at the docks. Get here as soon as you can." Bruce said angrily. _

_Dick made a face. "But you said…" _

"_I know what I said!" Bruce snapped over the line. "And I know what I'm saying now. I'm giving you an order. That order is to get down to the docks." The line soon went dead, and Dick glowered at the receiver before hanging up on his line. _

"_Can we continue now?" Morgan asked sweetly. _

_Dick sighed. "Maybe next year." He grumbled, hurriedly kissing Morgan on the forehead. _

_Morgan frowned. "What? Bobby, wait…Where are you going?" _

"_I have to go take care of something." _

"_But…" _

"…_Sorry." Dick said, before taking off into the night, removing his red backpack as he went. _

_Good thing he was always prepared. _

_+-+-+-+-+-_

_Robin arrived at the docks, and quickly spotted his Caped Crusader from a rooftop a few down from the building Robin was currently perched on. He used a grappling hook to swing himself over, and landed in front of the Dark Knight, still broading over having to be here. _

"_I know you're mad, but this missions is too big for me." Batman said gruffly, removing his binoculars. _

"_What are we talking now? A bomb? A machine that can stop time? A nuclear weapon?" Robin said, snatching the binoculars from his mentor and placing them to his cerulean eyes. _

"_It's an atomic bomb actually. This pier is an underground military facility, and somehow the Joker's gotten information on the place. He's taken over the whole operation, and by the time sun rises, Gotham will be a nuclear waste land." _

_Robin removed his binoculars. "Same old same old in other words." He mumbled, handing them back to Batman._

"_The perimeter is heavily guarded by the Joker's gang. Our mission is to get in, find the Joker, destroy the detonator and anything else that could set off this thing, shut it down, and get rid of it. Obviously the bomb is too dangerous for the military to be keeping around."_

_Robin pulled out another grappling hook. "Let's just do this then." He said, before taking off. _

_He landed swiftly on the rooftops, and heard his partner land a few feet behind him. Robin crept over to the west side of the building and peered down, removing his bo staff as he did so. He noticed a pair of men wearing clown masks with military guns. Robin knew that they would be easy._

_Swiftly, he jumped down, landing between the two men. Before they could even blink, he hit both of them with his bo staff, and knocked them unconscious with his elbow. He did the same at the north perimeter, before sneaking along to the south where Batman was waiting. _

_The two nodded at each other before entering the pier, instantly splitting up, Batman to search the bottom, Robin to search the top. _

_Robin crept along the top floor, looking for anything that stood out as being a detonator. The top floor was mostly filled with windows and old supplies. He felt annoyed that Batman had sent him up here, most likely thinking that Robin couldn't handle trying to dismantle a high-class atomic bomb. What was the point of training him at all if he wasn't going to let him do the heavy stuff? _

_At least Robin still had a chance of finding the Joker or Harley…He still wasn't over them nearly killing his girlfriend yesterday. Why had they even planted that stupid clown in the toy store window? Just because they were bored? They were such morons, why the hell couldn't they find something better to do with their time? Or something less random, at least. Then again, this was the Joker they were talking about after all…When was the Joker ever _not _random? _

_The pier had been plunged in darkness, and as Robin flipped over a crate, the lights flicked on, startling the young warrior. _

"_Looking for something Bird Boy?" The Joker drawled. _

_Robin whipped around, glowering at the clown as he held up a candy-cane striped tube with a red button at the top. _

"_I decorated it. Isn't it nice?" The Joker said proudly, admiring his handiwork. _

_Robin retracted his bo staff, moving into his bo staff. "You won't get away with this." He hissed. _

"_Now, now Robin. Don't be mad because of what happened with that girl yesterday. I am a man, and I do have needs. Besides, it's not my fault she was attracted to my brilliant toy."_

"_You're sick, you know that?" Robin snapped, not moving. He wasn't about to waste his energy when the Joker was in the mood for talking his head off as he often did. _

"_I'm not sick for liking attractive women, Bird Boy. Although don't tell my girlfriend I said that." The Joker said with a wink. _

"_Wouldn't dream of it." Robin said sarcastically. "Where's your second half anyway?" _

_Joker shrugged. "I don't know. I figured she couldn't handle this certain amount of work, so I sent her off to go steal some clothes or something." He said, waving his hand in dismissal. _

_This only annoyed Robin and so he decided he was done waiting. His adrenaline was pumping through his veins as he lunged at the Joker, knocking the detonator out of the clown's hands and wrestling him to the ground. _

"_Why Robin! I had no idea you felt this way about me!" The Joker gasped, as Robin straddled him, holding him down with his bo staff. _

"_Shut up!" Robin spat, snatching the detonator and removing a boomerang to destroy the device. _

"_I wouldn't do that if I were you Bird Brain. If you destroy it, you'll trigger the bomb to explode anyway, and if you do that, the whole city goes "Ka-Boom!" sooner than I planned. I could be lying of course, but I don't think you want to chance it and find out." The Joker said, smirking up at Robin. _

_Robin glared at him and stuffed the detonator in one of many compartments for storing weaponry before putting all his weight on the Joker's chest. _

"_Batman's downstairs right now probably trying to figure out how to stop the bomb from exploding. How about I just bring you to him myself?" _

"_Stop it?" The Joker asked before breaking out into laughter. "Ah my dear boy, you can't _stop _it. You can't even _destroy _it. Destroying it would have the same affect that destroying the detonator would have. In other words: The pair of you loses either way." The Joker said, cackling. _

_Robin punched the Joker in the face, causing him to sober up a little as his bottom lip began to bleed. "I feel your pain, I really do." _

_Robin punched him again, grabbing him by the collar and pulling Joker up close to his face. "You sure as hell had better be lying you bastard. And if you are, you sure as hell had better start talking!"_

"_I kid you not my dear boy. There really _is _no way to stop it. So much for that brave rescue you pulled for that girl, huh?" _

_Robin's anger skyrocketed and he removed a boomerang, throwing at the clown and sent him reeling backwards with a shriek. _

_The Joker stood up, wiping tears from his face as Robin mounted towards him. When he got close enough, the Joker threw a ball of laughing gas at the Boy Wonder. Obviously, Robin was used to this, and easily dodged it, following the Joker down a flight of stairs, hot on the clown's heels. _

_When the Joker reached the bottom he took off running down a large hallway singing, "Oh Batsy! We're coming for you!" _

_Robin threw another boomerang at him, this time causing the Joker's feet to get wrapped up, and the lunatic came crashing down to the floor, smacking his chin on the concrete. The Joker swore and began to curse at the hero as he approached the Joker, standing over him as he pulled out a taser. _

"_Let's try this again." Robin said, pointing the taser directly at the maniac._

_The Joker sighed exasperatedly. "Are you deaf? I all ready told you that you can't stop—OH!" He cried as Robin shocked the Joker with the taser. _

"_Last warning." Robin said, his teeth gritted as he pulled out a sonic disk, more than willing to stun the freak so he could beat the snot out of him. _

_The Joker was laughing so hard, he was practically choking as he fought to get air into his lungs. _

_Robin wasn't amused, and got ready to set off the sonic disk when he heard a shout from behind him._

_Robin whirled around as Harley Quinn smacked into him, knocking the air out of him as he went crashing into a beam._

"Babykins! You're through with your shopping!" The Joker cried as Harley unwound the Joker's legs from their entanglement. 

_Harley ignored her lover and stormed over to Robin, kicking him in the side. "No body touches my man and gets away with it! You made him bleed you scrawny little bastard!" She shrieked, kicking him in the side again. _

_Robin fought to rise to his feet, but Harley continued to kick him, until it reached a point where Robin thought that he was going to die. _

"_Stop it now my love. We need to make a break for it, and he'll be dead before dawn." The Joker said with a chuckle, and to Robin's horror, he pulled out another candy cane tube. How many of those things had the military had?! _

_Harley grinned lovingly at her love. "Our carriage await my love." She said sweetly, and whistled through her teeth, and soon the sound of a chopper could be heard hovering over the pier. _

_The clown couple soon ran off and Robin laid there for a few minutes before rising to his feet. He knew he should check up on Batman to see if Joker had been right, but there was no time. He wouldn't have the Joker get away with this. _

_Robin took off after the criminal and saw the couple rising higher into the sky. Robin swore under is breath and unleashed a grappling hook, catching it on one of the roving propellers. He flew up into the air, and then went flying after the helicopter. He struggled to climb the rope, and after what seemed like years, he finally reached the roof of the copter. He used two boomerangs to dig into the metal, his eyes stinging as the wind whipped back into his face. _

_He reached the edge of the helicopter where the windshield would be held, and jumped down, imploding the glass with an explosive. He heard Harley scream, and he knocked the pilot unconscious before he flipped into the helicopter, making his way towards the clowns. The Joker rammed into the young boy, and he went stumbling off into the door. The Joker began to punch Robin in the chest, and Robin could feel the metal doorway giving way underneath, until it was just completely gone. Robin gasped as the Joker punched him, nearly sending him backwards and over the edge to his death. _

_Harley now had the controls, trying to keep the helicopter in the air and in a straight line. Robin unleashed a sonic disc and Harley screamed as she was blinded, letting go of the controls and the helicopter took a nosedive downward._

"_YOU STUPID PUNK!' The Joker practically screamed, dashing over to the control pad, just as it exploded. _

"_YOU'LL KILL US ALL!" The Joker shouted, which Robin found ironic seeing as the Joker wanted to kill everyone in Gotham. _

_Robin pinned the Joker and jumped out of the helicopter, saluting the clown as swung off. The Joker was screaming after him and Robin felt like he had really accomplished something as he landed back in front of the pier, just as Batman came racing out. _

"_Where's Joker?" Batman panted. _

"_A couple miles to the northeast in a falling helicopter." Robin said casually. "Did you shut down the atomic bomb?" _

"_That's why I came out—To find you. I was only able to change the amount of ground the bomb covers." _

_Robin frowned. "You can actually control that?" _

"_It's a special project…The military has designed it to explode only a certain number of miles, all the way to exploding an entire country. I could only get it down to the lowest number of miles…Which is basically the entire area of the docks. _

_Robin's eyes widened. "Which means…" _

"_We have to get out of here…Now."_

&&&&&&

"Robin!" Raven shouted, pulling Robin out of his reverie.

He blinked up at her as she bent down by his side. "Is she all right?" She asked loudly, as if he had gone deaf.

Robin looked at Cali, who still had her arms wrapped around his neck, whimpering slightly. Robin sighed warily but nodded. "She should be fine." He muttered.

Raven touched his shoulder gently. "We better start cleaning up." She said quietly.

Robin surveyed what remained of Titans Tower and made a face. "I think is going to take more than just 'cleaning up'."

"I kind of thought we needed some redecorating anyway." Beast Boy called, shooting Robin an impish grin as he dusted himself off.

Robin shook his head slightly, and stood up with Cali still having a vice-like grip on his neck. "This is all my fault." He muttered.

Raven sighed. "Robin, it's pointless to blame yourself for something as stupid as this. It's not like you can see the future. How were you supposed to know that…_Clown_ would attack us?"

"Hell, we didn't even know about him, how could he have even known about us to begin with?" Cyborg asked, joining Robin and Raven.

"He knew me." Robin grumbled.

Cyborg raised an eyebrow, and even Raven seemed surprised. "He did?" She asked incredulously. "Because you never…"

"…Thought about him?" Robin asked, interrupting her. "No kidding. He's not someone I _want _to think about. Besides, up until two days ago, I thought he wasn't a threat. He had been locked up in an asylum for _years_ that bastard." Robin said, growing angrier by the minute.

"Are you sure man?" Cyborg asked incredulously. "Because that guy looks more like he belongs in Area 51 or something than in an ordinary insane asylum."

"I'm positive. I'm the one who put him there." Robin snapped.

Everyone gaped at him, and Robin sighed tiredly. "His name's the Joker. He's usually Batman's gig but…Well…Let's just say the Joker and I have history."

"What _kind _of history?" Raven asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Robin shifted uncomfortably. "When I began working with Batman, I was required to know all of our enemies, all of their weaknesses, how to bring them down. He never even _mentioned _the Joker to me. When we were out on nightly patrol, the Joker was wreaking havoc at Gotham's airport. I thought he was going to be easy. After all, he's some middle-aged guy dressed up as a clown…But he wasn't. He was dangerous, and he ended up getting away.

Batman told me after that the Joker had fallen into a vat of acid that had bleached his skin. It had messed with his mind, made him insane. His real identity was still unknown, but his girlfriend's wasn't. Harlene Quinzel, now known as Harley Quinn, was the Joker's shrink. She fell in love with him, and set him free, and used that same vat of acid in order to be closer to her sweetheart. It was obvious that Batman had had a history with them, and he didn't care for them one bit. He began training me harder, teaching me how to deal with lunatics like the Joker.

The last time I saw him was four years ago, shortly before I came to Jump City. The Joker was planning to destroy the entire city. Batman and I went to stop it. I pursued the Joker, and Batman tried to stop the explosion. But he could only bring the bomb down to a certain number of coordinates…We were in the area it was going to explode. Batman wanted us to get out, I wanted to stay so that the Joker wouldn't get away. Batman insisted otherwise, and I refused. I ran and saved the Joker's sorry ass, along with his stupid girlfriend, and nearly died in the process as the bomb exploded. Both were brought to Arkham Asylum, and I got a lecture from Batman. I told him I was done with taking his orders, and I walked out, deciding that I was better off on my own. Now I realized that I should've let those two bozos die when I had the chance, but that wasn't how I was trained.

Now that he's out, he wants revenge on me for locking him up. I still don't even know how he got out. I don't even know how he discovered my real identity, or who my lover was in Gotham, but he has. He doesn't know about Cali, I have no idea how Morgan managed to pull _that _off, but I know that that could all change now. Now, I have to find the Joker, and take him down, and try to protect my daughter all at the same time…I'm assuming Starfire has told you this?"

The team nodded solemnly, not wanting to get into details with the Boy Wonder of how furious Starfire was about Robin having a child, or how he was involved with his ex-girlfriend again, even though it was to protect her. They had all seen the news, and they knew that Morgan was dead, but they didn't know how this was going to effect their leader…They didn't even know how _they_ were going to handle this new bout of information…Or if they even could.

"What do you want us to do about the Joker?" Raven asked.

"Yeah. Because if you think we're stupid enough to leave you to fight that maniac alone, you're _way _off dude." Beast Boy said grimly, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance.

Robin chewed on his bottom lip, and he could feel that Cali had gone stiff, and he didn't want to continue this conversation with her in the room. "I don't know yet." He said, shooting everyone a glare to drop it.

Raven, who sensed his concern towards the young girl, and the worries flitting across his mind, nodded and used her magic to begin lifting debris. She figured that Robin was going to need time to process what the group had to do next, and so, in the mean time, it was time to rebuild.

&&&&&&

Robin hadn't paid much attention to what his team had been doing since the Joker had attacked. He had been to Gotham yesterday to attend Morgan's funeral, and as soon as he had returned, he had gone to work in finding out any information he could on the Joker. Bruce had talked to him afterwards about him taking over, but Robin had coldly turned him down. As far as he was concerned, the Joker was his fight right now, not Bruce's.

"Cali," Robin said warningly, as his senses told him that she was wondering too close to the water's edge. "How many times have I told you not to go near the edge of the island?" He asked, barely glancing up from his laptop.

"Sorry." He heard Cali mutter, before sulking down beside him.

Robin rubbed his forehead. The past couple of days hadn't been easy with Cali either. She had seemed more than eager to listen to him with the idea that her dad was a superhero, but those feelings had quickly disappeared when she realized Robin wasn't the fun dad she had thought he would be. In fact, Robin had been extremely strict with Cali, and Cali as a result, referred to him as 'Robin' like the rest of the group. Rob in actually pitied the poor girl, because he had been lacking in giving her affection, and quite frankly, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to go about it either.

He heard approaching footsteps, and glanced up, before quickly averting his eyes as Starfire sat on the other side of him. He had been doing his best to avoid Star at all costs, knowing that trying to talk to her when she was upset was a lost cause. Especially since he knew that he would end up blurting out that she was wrong. He had once told her that she was wrong about knowing everything about him when he had caught her bragging about it. Starfire had gotten so mad, that she ended up zapping his hair, and it had taken three weeks for it to return back to it's usual style, seeing as it was mostly burned to a crisp to his scalp.

"Robin?" Starfire asked hesitantly, watching as Robin's hands flew over the keyboard.

"What Star?" Robin asked, trying not to show how truly petrified he was of her temper.

"I feel that we must discuss about what happened three days ago. But I have not had much time to see you. I know you are working but I was hoping that you could spare some time so that we may discuss our problems."

"Problems?" Robin asked, focusing on the file he had pulled up. "We don't have any problems."

Starfire scrunched up her face in confusion. "Yes we do." She said slowly.

"We don't have any problems." Robin repeated, his eyes narrowing at the file. "You've just blown something minor into something out of proportion like you always do."

Starfire felt an angry pang hit her heart before she grew angry. "Ex_cuse_ me?" She asked, her green eyes beginning to glow.

"Bastard." Robin hissed, balling his hands up into fists.

"Robin, are you even _listening _to any of this?" Starfire demanded, noticing as Robin began to try to cross reference whatever he had found.

"I'm sorry Star. I don't have time for this right now." Robin said, quickly rising to his feet.

Starfire glared at him. "You don't have time for me?" She asked, trying to fight back tears.

"No." Robin said, barely paying attention as he walked off, still typing away at his laptop.

Starfire sighed in irritation. "Whatever happened to 'being more than just heroes'?"

&&&&&&

Soooo there's chapter two…Not sure how this is going because no one's leaving me any reviews, although I was pleased to find that this story has been favorited by 4 (?) people. However, I really need as much input as I can get, or else I won't know how to improve this story, or know when I'm doing something wrong. My job as a writer is to please you, and I'd rather know my faults, then lose a reader when they very well could've just told me in a PM or a review. So PLEASE leave a review on your way out, and I hope you enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

Here's Chapter 3! I was so happy to receive a TON of favorite story/author alerts and ONE review! XD Let's try to up that count this time around shall we? ;)

&&&&&&

Starfire placed her chin on her knees, deeply troubled by Robin's behavior as of late. Until this Morgan girl had come back into his life, Robin's entire life seemed to revolve around her. They had been each other's whole world…Now it was almost as if Starfire was only coming second.

To some extent, she could understand this…Robin's first priority from the very beginning had been to save the city, and to protect his teammates. To another extent however, Robin knew how much Star was hurt, and he didn't even seem to want to be bothered with her. What kind of hold had Morgan _really _had on Robin? Was there something that he wasn't telling her?

"Hey." A voice off to her left said, startling the Tamaranian to look at Robin's daughter, another change she couldn't adjust to. "You're the alien girl, right?"

Starfire managed a timid smile and nodded uncertainly.

"That means your Robin's girlfriend too."

Starfire nodded again, not quite sure to what Cali was getting at.

"Are you going to be my new mommy then?"

&&&&&&

Robin began hurriedly dialing the number to Wayne Manor, his hear palpitating the entire time the phone was ringing. Finally, he was met with a formal greeting from Alfred Pennysworth.

"Alfred? It's me Richard. I need to talk to Bruce immediately…He's in a meeting?…Well tell him to get the hell out Alfred! This is urgent….No, you don't understand…I know some valuable information about the Joker…Bruce isn't going to like it if you hold this against him….Yes I'll hold."

Robin tapped his foot impatiently as Alfred called Bruce on his work line. Within a few minutes, Robin was switched over to Bruce's line, and the millionaire was _not _pleased.

"Rich? This had better be good. The client I have in the next room is about to make a huge grant to our company, and _your _interference is ruining it." He sing-songed, which meant he was probably still within ear shot of his clientelle.

Robin rolled his eyes. "Like you don't have enough clients as it is. Listen, the Joker attacked my home this morning, and he knew my name."

"…You mean…?"

"He knew my _real _name. My real identity, Bruce. I've been researching everything I've found on the guy, and you're not going to like what I have to tell you."

Robin heard Bruce walk a few feet down so that he was out of ear shot of his potential clients. He spoke in a low voice, nice and even, which meant he was actually taking the teen seriously for once. "What is it?"

"You know how a couple of months ago there was that big break in at Wayne Tech?"

"You mean the break-in where the Joker was in Arkham and the guy who was responsible was caught? Yes…" Bruce said slowly, clearly growing irritated with the fact that Robin seemed to be back to wasting his time again.

"The guy that was caught? He worked for the Joker. Now, think _real _hard…The guy broke into your personal computer…What kind of information do you think he found there?"

There was a long pause, before Bruce said, "Go on."

Robin took a deep breath and rushed on, "According to the file that I got up, the guy that broke into Wayne Tech was broken out of jail just a few hours before the Joker attacked my home. My guessing is that he pressed this guy for information of what he remembered finding, and now he has what he needs…"

"…Blackmail." Bruce finished.

Robin nodded. "Exactly."

Bruce sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "This is _bad _Richard. This is…"

"…I know." Robin siad impatiently. "We need to track down the clown, and we need him killed. There was a reported break in at Gotham City Information Center, _everyone's _on record there…_Including _Cali." Robin said, his voice going hard.

"…I'll try to see if I can locate the Joker. I'll send you any information I find. Until then, I suggest that you get your team ready and rebuild. This is going to be one hell of a fight."

Before Robin could reply, the phone line went dead. Robin pulled the phone away and snapped it closed, shaking his head. "I hate it when he does that."

There was a knock on the door, and Robin could tell that it was Starfire, someone he _really _didn't have time for right now.

"Not now Star!" Robin called over his shoulder, as he began to look through past files he had on the Joker, and even on Harley Quinn. Whatever Starfire's problem was, it could wait…

Robin heard the doors slide open behind him, and he hung his head in irritation.

Or maybe _this _would have to wait…

"What is it Star?" Robin asked irritably, crossing his arms over his chest as he faced her.

Starfire stood in the doorway, her piercing green eyes boring through his black and white mask. Clearly, she was even more pissed than she was before.

"You and I need to discuss what is going on Robin, and we need to discuss it _now._"

Robin stiffened. If it was one thing he hated, it was being bossed around. That was why he had left Bruce in the first place. Now his own teammate was bossing him around when he was the leader? What was up with that?

"What if I don't?" Robin challenged, his eyes narrowing.

Starfire glowered at him, a green aura beginning to form around her slim frame, meaning she was _beyond _pissed at this point. "Then I don't think that we can continue this relationship anymore."

Robin threw his hands up. "Are you _kidding _me, Star? Don't you think we have a bigger issue right now besides _our _love life?"

Starfire stamped her foot, her fists clenched at her sides. "Robin," She said sharply. "Our relationship is _part _of this situation, because _Cali _is apart of this situation. Do you have _any _idea what _your_ daughter just asked me? She wanted to know if I waas going to be her new mother. How am I supposed to respond to that Robin? I don't know what I'm supposed to do! I know nothing about Cali, nothing about her mother, and apparently, I know nothing about you either! Until you give me some answers, you are _not _leaving this room! _I _want to know what you found so endearing about Morgan that made you want to reproduce with her! More importantly, I want to know if her death has ruined our relationship for good!"

Robin gaped at her. "What? Are you asking me if I still have feeling for her? Even though she's dead?"

Starfire glared at him, placing her hands on her hips. "Is that your answer?"

&&&&&&

_7 years ago—Gotham City_

_Dick Grayson pulled at the collar of his school uniform, gulping as he looked up at the intimdating oaken double doors of Gotham City Private Academy for Gifted Children. _

_Did Bruce really expect Dick, a circus acrobat, to fit in at a place like this? _

_Dick shook his head as he quickened his pace, keeping his head bent low so no one would notice that he was new. He immediately spotted the main office, and began to hurry in that general direction. His heart flew into his throat as he crashed head on into some girl. _

"_Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!" A girl cried, her blue eyes a mixture of concern and fear, probably about being pummeled by the new kid. _

"_No problem." Dick said, stooping down to pick up her books. "It was my fault…I wasn't looking where I was going." He handed the book to her, and tried to ignore her staring at him as if he was some sort of newfound lab experiment. _

"_Thanks. I'll uh…Maybe I'll bmp into you again sometime." She said, shooting him an impish grin before she began to glide down the hall, her black hair swishing from side to side as she did so. _

_Dick rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head, before continuing on his way to the office. He couldn't be late for his first day. _

_-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-_

"_Hey…Bumper Boy right?" _

_Dick looked up from geometry textbook, startled, as the dark-haired girl from this morning stood over him. _

_Dick nodded uncertainly. "Yeah. I'm actually Richard." _

_The girl chuckled, sitting down next to him. "I figured your name wouldn't be something as ridiculous as Bumper Boy." She said giggling. "I'm Morgan." She said, sticking out her hand. _

_Dick shook it. "Nice to meet you." He said, turning back to his textbook. _

"_You get geometry?" She asked, leaning forward a little bit. _

_Dick glanced up at her, nearly falling out of his seat when realizing how close she was to his face. "Not really." He replied, inching away from her ever so slightly. "I haven't really covered gemoetry yet." _

_Morgan cocked an eyebrow. "What school are you from?" _

"_Er…I didn't go to school. My parents were in the circus. They were professional acrobats. My only teacher was either my dad or the ring master." Dick braced himself for Morgan to start making fun of him and calling him a 'circus freak' or a 'gypsy'. _

_To his surprise, she broke into a wide grin and said, "I _knew _there was something I liked about you! I _love _the circus!" _

&&&&&&

Robin sighed, leaning against his desk, studying his foreign girlfriend carefully before he began, "Morgan and I met in our first year of middle school. Morgan was the first real friend I had had since my parents had died, and she was the first person to actually get to know me. I got involved with her friends, and we always had a good time. When we were going into sixth grade, Morgan and I both admitted that we liked each other. We dated all through out our second and third year of middle school…Our relationship was pretty intense, considering we were so young.

But at the same time, because we were young, we were also stupid. We thought that if we were 'in love' as we so claimed, then we should be able to have…Sex. And we did, but we didn't use any protection, because one of Morgan's stupid friends told us that you _never _concieve when it's your first time….I left for Jump City shortly after, I never heard from Morgan again.

When I found out that the Joker was after her, _obviously _I was going to go and warn her. Just because we're not in a relationship, doesn't mean I still can't _care _for her Star…And then I found out about Cali, and then I convinced her to leave…And then she…Got killed."

Starfire didn't seem to soften up about any of this at all, and he knew that she was expecting more, but he couldn't bear to talk about this with her right now.

"You are not answering my question Robin: Did you have feelings for her when you saw her again?" She asked, enunciating each word as if Robin was just learning how to speak English.

Robin chewed on his bottom lip before replying, "I don't know. I think…I think I still had feelings for her, just not in the way I used to. When Morgan and I first met, we were _twelve_. We didn't know anything about love or relationships. Even when we _were _dating, I still don't think we quite understood what it meant. But still, because we were both our firsts, we were head over heels for each other. We both truly believed…That we were in love."

Starfire's eyes were practically narrowed to mere slits. "And were you?"

Robin ran his fingers through his black spiky hair. "I think…It was a different _kind _of love…Different from the kind of love you and I have…And I mean that in a good way too." He added quickly.

Starfire stared at him for a long moment, debating on whether to remain angry at him, or to throw her arms around his neck. "Really?" She asked cautiously.

"She's never going to have the love you and I had Robin. We were young…Innocent. What do you and her have? Fighting crime and comparing fighting techniques? She's not of this earth…How can you possibly have anything in common with her? How can you even consider being in a relationship with her, when I could always offer you so much more?"

Robin swallowed the lump in his throat and managed a weak smile. "Really."

Starfire's eyes lit up, and she flew to Robin, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh Robin! I'm so glad we talked this out! I am so grateful!"

"What have you guys worked out? You're just telling her what she needs to hear. Don't you think the bigger question should be if you actually mean it or not?"

&&&&&&

Robin overlooked the blue ocean waves, the moonlight reflecting off of it in silver glimpses. It was almost ironic how a couple of days ago, Robin could be overlooking the ocean from the Titans Tower, not thinking anything special about the vast body of water. Now, he was taking in every inch of it.

Would he die tomorrow? Would he ever tell Star how much he _really _loved her? Did he even love her at all? Had he and _Morgan _ever really loved each other? Did he love Cali? Would he get to see her grow up? Would he screw up? What if she turned out to be some phsycho killer? It would be his fault, wouldn't it?

"Geez Robin, with all of those thoughts swirling around inside your head, it's hard to tell which one's are yours and which ones are mine." Raven commented dryly as she stood beside him.

Robin ignored the comment, not in the mood for Raven's attempt at humor. "Has Cyborg almost got the roof of the first floor finished yet?"

Raven nodded slightly. "We'll be camping out in the newly refurbished living room, but hey…It's better than a tent, right?"

"Right." Robin said, nodding absently as an ocean breeze flapped around him, causing his cape to billow out behind him. He hugged his arms closer to his chest to avoid the chill, and tried to ignore Raven's sapphire eyes that were boring into him. The problem with Raven sometimes was that the bond made it hard for him to keep secrets.

"Having doubts about your relationship with Starfire, I see." Raven said, after a few moments of silence. No doiubt she had heard his thoughts and figured to get right to the source.

Robin felt a guilty pang hit his gut all the same, and lowered his head. "I'm not having doubts. I'm just…Thinking about Morgan, and what she would think."

"Pretty intense considering she hasn't been in your life for four years, and then you only caught up with her for a day before she got killed." Raven muttered.

Robin glanced at her, annoyed. "I know it's crazy." He said with a huff. "And I'm sorry. But…Not seeing Morgan, and then to have her pop back into my life again, you can't tell me that I'm not going to start thinking about her again. I know it's stupid, but I'm human Raven, I forget. I forgot about who I was when I was in Gotham, and going back just reminded me of the life I had there, that's all."

"But that _isn't _all." Raven pointed out. "It's much more than that and you know it. For instance: You 'forgetting' about Morgan cost you on missing out on the first four years of your daughter's life, and now you're so focused on something so utterly _stupid_ that you're _still _missing out on her life even when she's only a couple feet away from you."

Robin raised an incredulous eyebrow. "I'm sucking that much, huh?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Robin, it's not that you're sucking, you jusr don't seem to have any practice in first priorities. I mean, it took you forever just to put Starfire as your first priority…Now you're treating the Joker as your first priority. And I get it, he's a bad ass, but so is Slade. There are _always_ going to be people like them coming in and out of your life…It comes with the package.

But when you have someone as special as Starfire, people like that can easily come and go if you don't treat them with the respect they deserve. And Cali isn't just _any _girl, she's your _daughter. _So you now actually have to juggle _two _first priorities….And if you can't get your act together Robin, then I can _assure _you that you _will_ lose both of them." Raven said firmly.

Before Robin could reply to the sorceress, she was all ready walking away from him, her blue cape billowing out behind her like a receding ocean wave.

&&&&&&

Robin entered the 'fort' as Beast Boy so liked to call the completed first floor of the newly rebuilt Titans Tower. He still had a lot of thoughts swirling around inside his head, and after talking to Raven, he couldn't say that the talk had quelled some of his questions. If anything, more seemed to grow in its place.

He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling another guilty pang as he spotted Cali, watching Beast Boy in amazement as he changed from a boy into a puppy. Cali clapped her hands, giggling, before she threw her tiny arms around Beast Boy, who was still in his puppy form. Beast Boy licked her face and nuzzled her cheek affectionately, making Cali hug him all the more tightly.

It figured, the least immature member of the group was being a more fatherly figure than the actual father…Who was also his leader. If that didn't show what a crap ass job Robin was doing, then he didn't know what did.

Robin slowly approached the two as Beast Boy changed back into his human form and said enthusiastically, "Hey Cali, you want to hear a joke?"

Cali nodded eagerly, and Beast Boy tossed her up into the air, before catching her and balancing her on his hip.

"Why did the cookie go to the doctor?"

Cali giggled and asked "Why?" as Robin caught Raven rolling her eyes and shaking her head at the changeling.

"Because he was feeling crumby!" Beast Boy exclaimed, and Robin felt himself copying Raven's action as Cali cracked up, finding this absolutely hysterical.

"And he was just getting out of the joke-telling phase too." Cyborg muttered under his breath to Raven who only managed a nod in reply at the obvious disgust in Beast Boy's newfound audience.

Robin cleared his throat, pulling at his collar, and Beast Boy immediately looked up, and broke into a wide grin. "Hey Robin! You've got quite the builder here! She's been helping me and Cy out all day…Right, Cy?" Beast Boy callled.

Cyborg nodded enthusiastically. "You bet. With her building skills, she'd make a great Teen Titan."

Cali's eyes lit up as Beast Boy nodded his agreement, before turning his attention back to his leader. "What can I help you with?" He asked cheerily.

Robin cleared his throat. "I was actually hoping that I could borrow Cali for a moment."

"Sure Rob, she's your daughter after all." Beast Boy said, handing the four-year-old over to him.

Robin tried to ignore the fact that Cali looked disappointed as he led her to a far corner of the living room to talk to her alone. He placed her down on the ground and sat down beside her so that he was eye level with her.

"Cali, I wanted to say I'm sorry…You know, for not really giving you a lot of attention." Robin said, feeling a little weird about apologizing to a four-year-old, but knowing that it had to be done.

Cali merely shrugged. "It's 'kay."

"No it isn't okay." Robin said, shaking his head. "You're my daughter, and it's my responsibility of taking care of you. But…I have the habit of not realizing what's important. So…I need you to help remind me. If I'm not giving you the attention you need, all you need to do is tell me that I'm doing it again, okay?"

Cali eyed him incredulously. "'Kay." She said hesitantly.

Robin managed a weak smile. "You look so much like your mother…Do you know that?"

Cali looked down at her hands, as if her hands showed her resemblence to Morgan, and after a few moments of scrutinizing she only shrugged. "Mommy used to say I look a lot like you." She said, blinking at him.

Robin ran his fingers through his hair, feeling his face flush. "I don't know. Your mom and I always shared similar features. We both have blue eyes and black hair and pale skin. I used to say she was Snow White, and she used to say I was the guy version of Snow White." He said with a nervous chuckle.

Cali squinted at him. "I can't see your eyes. Mommy says I have your eyes though."

Robin glanced down at her and ruffled her hair in an attempt at affection. "Yeah. You have cerulean…Like me." He said quietly.

"Can I see your eyes?" Cali asked.

Robin fingered his mask, and slowly shook his head. "Not right now, no."

Cali sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I'm not going to stay here…Am I? That's why you can't show me."

Robin flinched. "Cali…"

"It's 'kay." Cali said quickly, standing to her feet. "Mommy 'splained to me how you weren't here 'cause you couln't take care of me."

Robin's mouth dropped before Cali bounded down the stairs. As she reached the bottom, she hesitated, before turning to look at me. "I like Beast Boy taking care of me though." She said, blinking innocently at Robin, as if somehow he could change his genes being inside her and switch them with Beast Boy's.

Robin could feel his face flushing as he realizied that he couldn't do this, and also felt a flare of jealousy rise in his chest as Cali tackled Beast Boy to the floor, making them burst out laughing as Raven told them to settle down…In a good-natured way, which was definitely a first for Raven.

Robin hung his head in his hands. What made Beast Boy so special anyway? Was it just his good nature that drew kids to him? Or had he just felt sorry when he realized that Cali was being put off to the side and was now just playing with her out of pity?

"_She's your daughter Robin." _Beast Boy's voice rang in his head, and Robin felt even more frustrated as he realized that he really didn't know the first thing about kids, and he was actually beginning to consider going to Beast Boy for advice.

How had Bruce done it? Robin could barely handle this kid, let alone at all. Bruce had had _two_. Both who were _teenagers_. Robin had just started going through his awkward stage, and Barbara was just getting out of it.

Robin recalled plenty of times when hormones had been bad on both accounts. Robin had mostly been irritable and impatient. Barbara, however, had been a million times worse. Alfred had even admitted to fearing for his life whenever Barbara was having one of her 'temper tantrums'. And while Robin had butted heads with Bruce, often ending in screaming matches, Barbara would often go crying to Bruce about failing an exam, to not having a date to prom. The _stupidest _things used to make Barbara angry or sad, and Bruce had somehow maintained it with grace be learning the fine art of avoidance.

In this situation, Cali wasn't a teenager, which Robin was truly blessed for, but she couldn't just be avoided. At this age in her life, Cali would need guidance to turn her into a decent human being. She would need discipline, responsibility, obedience, gratefulness…And Robin didn't know how he could provide any of that. Plus, there was also the fine line he had to cross by explaining the concept of death to Cali. Cali hadn't mentioned anything about Morgan, but Robin hadn't really been around to notice. He had _no _idea how he was supposed to handle any of this…Especially when it would come time to send Cali to school. He knew he couldn't just give her up to another family either, especially when that would just be falling into Morgan's expectations for him.

What the hell did he care about Morgan's thoughts anyway? She couldn't even _think_ at all…She was _dead_. So why the hell did he care so much about her opinion when she wasn't even here? Was it some sort of post-mortem thing?

What about where he was with Starfire? Was that just completely screwed over? Starfire had _seemed_ to have forgiven him, but he knew that Starfire wasn't stupid…And that she was actually a pretty good actress. For all he knew, Starfire could still be pissed off at him, but just wasn't showing it, instead, she was going to keep it bottled up inside and then let it loose to bite him in the ass when he least expected it.

As Robin sat there pondering all of these thoughts, all he could think about was how totally and utterly screwed he was.

&&&&&&

"Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ANYWHERE I present to you…TOFU-FREE waffles!" Beast Boy exclaimed, presenting a large pile of waffles sitting on the kitchen counter.

The whole team's mouth dropped in absolute shock as Beast Boy beamed proudly at them. When he noticed that no one was showing any sort of excitement, he glared at all of them. "What? Don't tell me you were actually beginning to _like_ tofu."

"Uh…No B. It's just that…Making the waffles required you to touch real eggs and milk." Cyborg said, blinking at the changeling.

"Yeah, are you on drugs?" Raven asked.

Beast Boy threw his hands up in the air. "What? I can't be nice to you anymore?"

"Beast Boy, you've been nice to us plenty of times…Just…Not when it comes to you cooking." Robin pointed out, still staring at the waffles in disbelief.

"What's the deal?" Cyborg asked.

Beast Boy sighed in defeat. "Well, if you _must _know…Cali told me she didn't like tofu, so I sucked it up and made real waffles so she wouldn't starve to death and nearly died in the process."

Cyborg rolled his eyes. "Figures. We're allowed to starve, but _Cali_ can't."

"Cali isn't done growing yet, she needs food." Beast Boy retorted.

"Yeah? Well maybe _I'm_ not done growing." Cyborg retorted hotly.

"Cyborg, you're made out of metal. I think you're through." Raven pointed out monotonously, sipping her tea as she did so.

Cyborg glared at the telepath as Cali shouted, "Can I have two please?"

Beast Boy grinned and set down two waffles in front of her. "I am by far, the best cook ever." He said with a grin, waggling his eyebrows at Cali who giggled.

Robin raised his eyebrows and said, "I'll have two."

"Coming right up!" Beast Boy crowed, sliding a plate over to him and placing down two syrup bottles.

Beast Boy began to ask what Raven and Cyborg wanted when he stopped, his mouth twitching into a smile.

Raven noticed this and raised a critical eyebrow. "What?" She asked.

"Look." Beast Boy said, cocking his head to where Cali and Robin were sitting.

Robin and Cali both had their respective syrup bottles, pouring the syrup into each individual square. Once they were finished, they set the bottle down, grabbed a knife and a fork, and cut the waffle in half, before sawing off one end into a triangle, the second into a rectangle, and the last piece into two separate triangles. They did this in perfect unison, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, which to them, it was.

"That's _so_ funny." Beast Boy murmured. "They're _exactly _in synch with each other."

Raven felt herself smirking and Beast Boy noticed and started. "What?"

Raven turned to Beast Boy as Cyborg looked between the two teens in confusion. "What do you say about getting Robin and Cali to do some father-daughter bonding?"

Beast Boy's eyebrows furrowed before realization dawned on him. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Raven nodded. "I think so."

Beast Boy smirked. "Let's do it."

&&&&&&

"Don't you think we should all be helping Starfire and Cyborg rebuild the tower?" Robin asked suspiciously as Raven drove the T Car into town.

"They said they had it handled." Raven said nonchalantly, glancing into the rearview mirror. Cali was on the left, swinging her legs back and forth as she looked out over Jump City, while Robin was on the right, glancing out the window with a worried look on his face.

Raven shook her head before she pulled over to the side, reaching their destination. "Here we are." She said, parking the car.

Robin did a double take. "_This _is what was so urgent that we had to leave rebuilding the tower?!" He exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yep. Get out." Raven said, opening the door with her powers.

"But Raven…" Robin protested as Raven unbuckled his seat belt and threw him out of the car. Cali was all ready waiting on the sidewalk, watching in amusement as Robin tried to fight against Raven's black force field.

"We'll pick you up in two hours!" Beast Boy called cheerfully before the T Car sped off.

"GUYS!" Robin called after the disappearing car, but to no avail.

He sighed, turning to look at his daughter who was staring at the playground eagerly. Robin hung his head, realizing what Beast Boy and Raven were trying to do.

"Want to go play? We're going to be stuck here for a while and it'd be a waste otherwise." Robin said.

Cali looked up at him, surprised. "Really?" She asked incredulously.

"Sure." Robin said with a shrug. "I haven't been to a playground in a hundred years."

Cali rolled her eyes. "You're not one hundred." She said, placing her hands on her hips.

"You're right." Robin said, a smile playing across his lips. "I'm two hundred. I look pretty good don't I?"

Cali shook her head and grabbed his hand. "C'mon, before the swings get taken." She said, tugging on his gloved hand to make him move.

Robin sighed and followed after her, hoping that Raven and Beast Boy knew what they were doing. He hoped that this just went slowly and didn't get thrown back in his face,

But they were at a playground…What could happen?

Parked across the street was an entertainment car, advertising the local Jump City clowns for putting on entertainment for birthday parties and the like. Robin hadn't paid much attention to it, which was his folly.

The Joker rose up from his seat, grinning maniacally as Robin followed his daughter over to the swings.

"Well well well. I see Bird Boy's been keeping _more _secrets from me. Let's see how much of a sense of humor his _daughter_ has, shall we?" The Joker said, flipping open a switchblade as his girlfriend laughed beside him.

Who said clowns weren't fun?

&&&&&&

All right, that's that. Hope it wasn't too bad, but I was a little short on time when it came to finishing. Anyway, please leave a review on the way out to let me know how I'm doing! There'll be more Starfire and Robin in the next chapter. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Here's Chapter 4! Thanks to everyone for their feedback! I'm personally not much of a StarxRobin fan…But I wasn't really in the mood for people to jump down my throat about how their meant to be. So I'll do the best I can when it comes to their coupling!

&&&&&&

Robin pushed his daughter on the swing, his mind more on what was going on right now in his life…Specifically with Raven and Beast Boy's little prank to get him to do some bonding with Cali.

It wasn't that Robin didn't need the bonding with Cali, because he did…He just couldn't believe that it was really so obvious to all his other teammates. Seeing as Raven could read him like an open book, she probably knew that more of his worries were revolving around the Joker than on his daughter…Which all led back to him needing to see Cali as his first priority.

Whoever knew that parenting could be so frustrating? Or that it was doubly frustrating for dark crusaders such as the Boy Wonder himself? If Robin had known that him and Morgan's one night would turn into this, he would've turned down the offer she had served to him on a silver platter.

He felt a pang of guilt as he thought of Starfire. He knew that Starfire had wanted their first time to be special…And that included them both being virgins. Now, it looked like whatever fantasy the Tamaranian had concocted had boiled over into a burned mass of nothing.

He stopped pushing Cali as he realized that she was slowing down, and finally hopped off the swing. He eyed his daughter curiously, as he could tell that she was debating on whether to say something to him or not.

"What is it?" He asked, deciding to speed along the process, hoping this would show his daughter that he wasn't unapproachable as she probably thought.

"Do you wanna play a game?" Cali asked hesitantly.

Robin raised his eyebrows. "You don't want to play on the playground?"

Cali shrugged and Robin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "What kind of game?"

Cali eyed him warily before saying quietly. "Hide and seek?"

Robin swallowed, as his guard instantly went up. If he let Cali out of his sight, something terrible could happen to her…Why couldn't they play a game that involved both of them?

Robin hesitated, knowing his daughter would probably have a lower opinion of him than she did all ready if he said no to playing a harmless game of hide and seek. After all, they were at a playground surrounded by doting parents and young children. What could possibly happen?

"How about if you hide and I seek?" Robin asked, deciding he could let his guard down just this once. He knew that if Raven were here, she would probably be proud.

Cali seemed genuinely surprised, but she didn't question the leader and instead just said, "You can't peek and you hafta count to twenty!"

"Deal." Robin said, smiling despite himself. He covered his eyes and began, "One…Two…"

&&&&&&

"This is too easy." The Joker said, cackling to himself as he watched the young girl run off towards the edge of the playground, crouching behind a large bush so that her father wouldn't be able to find her quickly.

The Joker smirked as he flounced over to the bush, still hearing Bird Boy counting. He was in the teens of course…Which meant the clown had to move quickly if he wanted to make this work.

"Psst! Hey!" He whispered, bending down over the bush, startling the four-year-old, a clown mask covering his face so that the girl wouldn't recognize him.

"Don't be afraid. You want to see a magic trick?" The Joker asked, breaking out into a grin as he pulled out a plastic flower. "You like magic?"

Cali hesitated, and slowly nodded. The Joker grinned, thinking that he should probably do this more often…Although there really wasn't anything to gain from children. No matter…In this one case it would.

"I am about to make you disappear." The Joker said, waving his arm with a flourish, the plastic flower gone, even though he had merely tossed it over his shoulder.

Cali's face scrunched up in confusion. "You're gonna make _me_ disappear? How are ya gonna do that?" She asked suspiciously.

"Why, by doing _this_ my dear!" The Joker cried, grabbing Cali around the waist, and clamping his hand over the girl's small mouth. The girl began to struggle and kick at the clown and the Joker ripped off his mask, shoving it into Cali's face. She screamed threw his hand, and The Joker shook her violently.

"Shut up you little brat!" He hissed. "Unless you want to end up getting torn to pieces!" He snapped, flicking out his switchblade.

Cali's blue eyes remained fixated on the knife in paralyzed fear as the Joker began to make his way off towards his car, just as he began to hear Bird Brain calling for the young girl.

This was going to be the most epic game of hide and seek the ingrate would ever participate in.

&&&&&&

"Cali?!" Robin called, for what felt like the millionth time. "I give up Cali! I surrender! You win!"

Robin frowned as he was still met with no response. He had turned the playground upside down, searching every last part of it, and he _still_ couldn't find Cali anywhere.

Robin scratched the back of his head and surveyed the area. His eyes narrowed as they landed on the open gate.

Was it possible that Cali was hiding out in Jump City somewhere?

Robin rubbed his chin and turned his attention to the playground, where he saw a mother that had been there when he and Cali had first arrived. Maybe she had seen Cali sneak out of the park.

"Excuse me, miss?" Robin asked, approaching the middle-aged mother, who was eyeing what appeared to be a group of triplets. Good grief, how did these parents _do_ it?

"I was wondering if you've seen my daughter anywhere? She had black hair, pale skin, blue eyes, yay tall?" Robin asked, placing his hand down by his waist.

The woman squinted at him and frowned. "The last time I saw your daughter, she was sneaking of towards those bushes over there." She said, pointing over to a clearing that Robin had all ready checked what felt to be a million times.

Robin frowned. "She didn't leave the park at all?"

The woman sighed. "No. Although, I did see a clown walking around her area."

Robin's face paled. "A clown? What did he look like?"

The woman scratched her head. "He was wearing one of those colorful clown masks. There's a clown group that comes to the playground about once a week and does some face painting. They always come up to the playground to attract some children. Of course, my children won't go _near _them. They're petrified of clowns."

Robin felt as if his heart was going to explode out of his chest, and he felt as if he couldn't breathe, as if every breath was strangling him instead of helping him to survive. "What about his outfit? Was he wearing a purple suit?"

The woman frowned at Robin. "Purple suit? No. Those clowns usually wear red, orange, and yellow costumes."

Robin threw his hands up in exasperation. "I understand that. But this particular clown that was over where my daughter was…Was he wearing a purple suit?"

The woman thought for a moment and said finally, "You know, I really can't remember. One of my kids had fallen off the monkey bars, so I didn't really pay much attention."

"Great." Robin said sarcastically.

The woman glowered at him. "Maybe you should just keep better watch on your kid instead of having a complete stranger do it! I could be a pedophile you know!" The woman snapped.

Robin ignored the woman and walked quickly over to the bushes. He got down on his hands and knees and began scrutinizing the place closer. As he was about to give up, frustrated with not finding anything, he spotted something yellow out of the corner of his eye.

He turned his attention to the object, and picked up a yellow plastic flower. He turned it over in his hand, scrutinizing it carefully. There was something familiar about this flower…

"_A flower for the pretty lady?" _

"_No thanks Joker. I don't take cheap crap from even cheaper entertainment." Batgirl spat at the clown._

Robin's eyes widened and he straightened abruptly, turning this way and that.

"No." He whispered.

He made his way to the entrance, checking either side, still clutching the flower. He saw no trace of the Joker or of his daughter, and panic raced through his veins as he realized that Cali really _was _missing.

"CALI?!"

&&&&&&

Starfire sighed, bored as she watched Cyborg and Beast Boy put the finishing touches on the rood of the newly rebuilt Titans Tower.

Starfire's eyes wondered over to Raven, who had been engrossed in one of her many thick books for the past three hours.

Starfire sighed louder, hoping that in doing so, it would attract the telepath's attention and lead to her holding a discussion on her curiosity on where Robin was. When the telepath still didn't look up however, Starfire decided it was utterly hopeless and stood up from her perch, stretching her back as Beast Boy landed beside her.

"It's done!" The changeling cried, throwing his arms up in the air, as if no one could tell that the tower was completed.

"Tell me Beast Boy, do you know where Robin is?" Starfire asked, not caring about the tower in the slightest.

Beast Boy lowered his arms, clearly disappointed that the Tamaranian, of all people, wasn't sharing in his excitement. But the changeling merely sighed and said, "He's at the park with Cali to do some father-daughter bonding."

"Oh." Starfire said with a frown, wondering why Robin hadn't informed her of this.

"Don't worry. They just went to the park. I'm sure they're having a _great _time!" Beast Boy said with a knowing grin.

&&&&&&

"CALI?! CALI?! CALI!" Robin shouted, running through the streets as thunder struck, the sky opening up to a torrential down pour that had the hero immediately soaked.

Robin glared straight ahead as the rain pounded down on his head. "Perfect. Just perfect. This is a real _blast_."

&&&&&&

Starfire glanced out at the ocean, which was going nuts due to the weather, and hugged her arms.

"They should be back any minute Star!" Beast Boy called as he began fixing dinner, whistling to himself at how happy he was to have his kitchen back.

"Either that or him and Cali are stranded somewhere and are just hunkering down until the storm passes." Cyborg added, so that the Tamaranian wouldn't find herself waiting at the door for the next few hours, and then yell at Robin for keeping her waiting.

Starfire bit her bottom lip, looking out at the city, which looked especially dark under these conditions.

She turned away from the window, her finger to her chin. Something was wrong. She could _feel_ it. Maybe if she just talked to him threw the communicator, she'd feel better.

"Robin?" She asked tentatively. "Are you there?"

"Yes I'm here. I'm _always_ here! What is it?" Robin snapped impatiently over the line, and Starfire found herself flinching at the harshness in his voice, not to mention the fact that she could hear him swearing every time thunder struck.

"I just…I wanted to make sure that everything is all right. I felt that something was amiss and I just wanted to…"

"…Do you _really_ need to be talking to me right now?! Because I'm _kind of _in the middle of something right now Star." Robin snapped again, and she could hear him splashing through puddles of water.

Starfire frowned. "Robin…Where is Cali?"

She heard Robin laugh bitterly. "That's a question that I'd like to know too Star because I don't know! She's gone missing and I'm trying to find her, but I can't in this damn mess…."

"…Cali is missing?" Starfire repeated, knowing that something had been wrong this entire time. "Do you need some assistance?"

"NO I don't need some assistance! Unless you can suddenly control the weather, the only assistance you can do it try to do a city-wide search and find her. Oh wait…She's four, and she doesn't have a communicator, which means she _can't_ be tracked!" Robin exploded.

Starfire sucked in a deep breath, knowing that Robin wasn't angry at _her_ he was just angry at the situation. So she replied as calmly as possible, "Robin, if you just send me your coordinates and if you just remain where you are I can…"

"…Remain where I am?! Are you _insane_?! My daughter is _missing_ Star! I can't just sit around and wait for _you_ to show up! There's a fucking tracker on every fucking communicator! Why the hell can't you just find me that way so I can keep on moving?!"

Starfire's eyes blazed angrily. "Robin, I would appreciate it if you didn't use that language on…"

"…GAH!" Robin cried over the line before he broke out into a fit of coughing.

Starfire frowned at the communicator. "Robin? Are you all right?"

Robin began to burst out into maniacal cackles, and Starfire felt fear creep into her veins. "Robin?! What's going on? Why are you—Robin?!" She cried as the line went dead. "Robin?!" She called again, panic freezing her heart.

Before any of her teammates could even ask, she had all ready taken off into the stormy skies of Jump City, out to find her second half that needed her…Or at least, that was what she hoped anyway.

&&&&&&

Starfire frowned down at the communicator's tracking device as it led her past where Robin had originally been. She had no idea of what was going on, but she had no doubt that the Joker was involved with all of this. Robin was unaware of the fact that Starfire had been doing some research of her own when it came to this clown. However, she was all ready beginning to find that she had only made a dent when it came to researching the Joker, as his track record seemed to stretch around the entire world a couple of times. This guy was serious bad news, and Starfire was still confused as to why he wanted Robin so badly. Yes, Robin had been the one to throw him in jail, or the insane asylum, but was that really cause for this sort of madness? Then again the Joker _was _mad so this was probably normalcy and clear thinking for him…

Starfire frowned as to where the tracker led her. She looked from the old building she was hovering in front of, back down to the tracker again.

"This cannot be right." She muttered under her breath. "Robin is located in the Dolly Dingle Pop Candy Factory?" She mused out loud. The factory had been abandoned decades ago. What would Robin be doing here? He was supposed to be looking for his daugher…

Suddenly, Starfire was reminded of that maniacal cackling her boyfriend had emitted and she shivered before flying into one of the broken glass windows.

She landed on the cool tile floors and peered over the edge and found that the building was empty. She couldn't believe this. Was her tracker on the fritz or something?

She looked down at her tracker again, and according to it, Robin was right below her feet, but there was no sign of anyone in this entire creepy building.

She jumped as thunder cracked above her head, lightning temporarily lighting up the abandoned factory.

Starfire took in a deep shaky breath before flying down to the lower level of the factory. She was even more confused as it then began to say that Robin was right in front of her, yet all she could see was darkness.

The Tamaranian tried to light up the factory with the light from her star bolts, but it was taking her awhile to get lit up. Her fingers were shaking, and it took her a great deal of effort to come up with any thoughts o strength or bravery.

When the factory was finally enveloped in green light, Starfire let out a sigh of relief and raised her fist above her head to get a better look at whatever was in front of her.

Despite herself, she screamed as Robin's maniacal smile stared straight at her, his eyes unseeing.

"ROBIN!" She screamed, lunging for the Boy Wonder, fearing that he was dead.

She heard cackling and gasped as she was grabbed around the waist by a gang of clowns, and she let out another scream as she struggled against them, trying to get to Robin, screaming his name repeatedly as if he could really hear her. She could all ready feel the tears pouring down her face as she began to fear the worst.

She gasped as the Joker's face appeared in front of her, blocking her view of Robin. "Tut tut. There's no use for those tears princess. Robin is…Incapacitated at the moment. Don't you worry you're pretty little head off…He'll come around and be as fine as punch!"

Starfire began to open her mouth, but was hit squarely in the face with a punching glove, the last noise she heard being the Joker's ringing laughter in her ears.

&&&&&&

That was a short chapter. Not exactly the lovey dovey romance I was looking for, but hey, Star came to Robin's rescue didn't she? Anyway, more action and romance to come if you could only leave a review with your input on the way out. Thanks!


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